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As a cameraman, I've filmed
wildlife all over the planet,

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but there are limits
to where I can go.

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She's returned to the place
that I can't follow her.

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So in this series, it's the animals
that are doing the filming,

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to reveal the secret side
of their lives

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we've never seen before.

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That's so cool.

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That is lovely.

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Over the years, we've designed
pioneering mini-cameras for a huge

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range of animals.

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It's like a job interview.

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Everything is made to measure.

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Just figuring out
what her new bit of bling is.

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And we've teamed up with scientists
who want to see the world

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from an animal's perspective,

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to learn about the challenges
they face,

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and help protect them in the future.

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She is potentially showing us parts
of the ocean that no-one

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has seen before.

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Our unconventional film crew
reveal surprising behaviour...

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Oh, there's another one!

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..and help us help them.

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Woohoo!

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Couldn't be happier than that.

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In this special episode,

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we're diving underwater,

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where our cameras will help answer
scientists' crucial questions

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about some of the most remarkable
animals in the ocean.

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What DO turtles get up to at sea?

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Can sharks help protect coral reefs?

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How do gannets find their food?

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And how do seal pups survive after
being abandoned by their mother?

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This is their world,

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their footage and their story.

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My first adventure starts here...

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..Cape Verde.

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A cluster of tropical islands
off the west coast of Africa.

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I'm on Sal -

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one of the driest and most barren.

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This really is a true desert island.

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First impressions as a wildlife
cameraman looking around,

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there aren't that many wild animals.

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But for just a few months
each summer, the sandy beaches

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in the south where I'm heading
are inundated by

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a very, very special reptile -

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the loggerhead turtle.

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Loggerheads can weigh twice
as much as an adult human

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and live for up to 50 years.

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They spend their lives traversing
the world's oceans all on their own,

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travelling thousands of kilometres
between feeding grounds.

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Because they spend so much time
in the open ocean,

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extremely little is
known about them.

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So what do these creatures
do at sea?

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Hopefully our cameras will find out.

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Biologists Albert Taxonera
and Christophe Eizaguirre

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have been studying the loggerheads
on Sal for the past decade.

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What we are trying to do is to learn
more about the conservation status

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of these animals, learn
more about them, so we can actually

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protect them better.

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Cape Verde hosts one of the world's
largest populations

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of nesting loggerheads.

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During the breeding season,

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up to 7,000 females return
to Sal's beaches,

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where they were born.

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Each can lay up to
six clutches of 80 eggs.

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It's widely believed that during
their nesting season,

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loggerheads will not feed
for five months.

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But is this actually true?

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Do turtles feed in the
surrounding ocean or not?

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Albert and Christophe need to use
our cameras to find the answer.

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I've been working in Cape Verde
for ten years,

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and for almost as long as this time

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we have the speculation
that turtles feed locally.

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So why is it important to know
if they're feeding?

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The beaches of Sal are already
protected to safeguard the turtles.

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But the surrounding
coral reefs are not.

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So if the turtles are feeding here,

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the marine ecosystem
needs protecting, too.

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If we understand what they do,
we can always push

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for better conservation strategies.

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But to safeguard the waters,
first they need evidence -

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something I hope our cameras
can help with.

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This morning, I'm heading
a few kilometres offshore

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with Albert, to a reef location
where he suspects the turtles

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could be feeding.

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Seeing the turtles on the beaches,
and you've got this opportunity

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to be very close to them,
to study them intimately,

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but then they get into the water
and they are gone.

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It is true, because
we see the turtles,

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we study a very small,
tiny portion of their life.

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That's when they come
to lay the eggs.

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We don't know what's
going on in the ocean.

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I think that the footage from
the cameras will help us improve

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much more our knowledge.

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It's a free dive of nine metres
to reach the bottom.

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And within seconds, we get
our first glimpse of a turtle

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swimming into the blue.

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And just metres away,
another resting on the seabed.

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Amongst the shoals of fish,

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these rocky outcrops are the perfect
environment for crustaceans

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and seaweed, which loggerheads
are known to feed on elsewhere.

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It's a brief dive, but it gives
me a tantalising insight

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into the turtles' world.

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But even if I had a scuba tank, I
couldn't follow them for long enough

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to answer Albert's questions,
so I'm hoping our cameras can.

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We just need a suitable
loggerhead to join the team.

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As night falls, the turtles
begin to arrive on the beaches.

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It's Albert and Christophe's
opportunity to survey the nesting

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females, and I'm joining them
to find one

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for our all-important
camera deployment.

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So how many turtles do you think
are on the beach? Right now? Yeah.

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Every night we are counting
around 100 nests, around. Wow.

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So that's 100 turtles.

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So we should trip over one
fairly soon. Definitely.

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Actually, we can see one
from here already.

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Do you want to go and have a look?

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Albert makes a quiet approach,

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so not to disturb this female.

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We're looking for a turtle
that's big enough to carry our

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camera with ease.

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She looks big.
She's around 80, 81, 80cm long.

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That's big enough for us.

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We've found our new crew member.

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And this is the camera
she'll be wearing.

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This is the camera end.

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We've got a high-definition
camera that's sort of

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tilting forward and down,
that's going to give us that

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over-the-shoulder view,
a turtle's-eye view.

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We've got the attachment
points here.

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After a day at sea,

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there's magnesium swivels that
dissolve in saltwater,

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and that's when the camera floats
back up to the surface.

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Once the turtle has finished
laying her precious eggs,

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Albert and Christophe work
swiftly and silently

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to collect valuable data
for their ongoing research.

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Then they place a temporary box
around her to keep her safe.

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This is an exciting moment for me
because this female is soon to go

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from just being one of the many
thousands of turtles that visit

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these nests, to becoming
a member of our film crew.

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Her shell, or carapace, is given
a clean, and the camera is attached

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using an
environmentally friendly resin.

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Once the camera anchors have eroded
away, this, too, will be shed

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over the coming days.

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Just over an hour
after she first heaved

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herself onto the beach,

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our turtle is reunited
with the ocean.

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Here she comes.

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Now it's over to her to film
her secret world.

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But only if all
of this technology works.

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Fingers crossed we'll get our
camera back in 24 hours' time.

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More than 80% of the ocean
is unmapped and unexplored.

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Even the lives of the most notorious
marine animals harbour secrets.

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You might think we know
all there is to know about sharks,

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but as they live at sea and can swim
at high speeds,

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they're incredibly
tricky to study.

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So our understanding of their lives
is actually quite limited.

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But our onboard cameras
can help change that.

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Scientist Dr Tristan Guttridge
has been studying sharks

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in the Bahamas for
the past 15 years.

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I have been literally obsessed
with sharks since I can remember,

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and it's just grown
and grown and grown.

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And I'm now a 38-year-old
marine scientist that still

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has that little-kid passion
to work with sharks

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and to learn more about them,

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and to try and hopefully
conserve them and protect them.

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Tristan has come to the island
of Andros - home to one

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of the largest coral reefs
in the world,

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measuring over 220km long.

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It's a magnet for several
species of shark who rely on it

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for food and shelter.

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Reef sharks, lemon sharks and
great hammerhead patrol the area.

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Even one of the biggest
predators in the ocean,

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the tiger shark, lives here.

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Around the world,

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coral reefs are dying
at unprecedented rates

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due to pollution and climate change.

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Tristan needs to check the health
of the Andros Reef to ascertain

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if these sharks will have
a home in the future.

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Doing this with a team of scuba
divers would be an enormous task

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that could damage the coral.

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So the best guide to this vital
underwater habitat

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is the sharks themselves.

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As a human, I can only spend
about an hour underwater,

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and I'm limited to certain
depths as well.

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But a reef shark, it can act
as essentially a surveyor

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for many, many hours.

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And so we can actually
look at the health of the system

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that it's swimming in
and patrolling.

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Tristan wants to enlist
the help of Caribbean reef sharks.

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They spend most of their time around
the coral, making them perfect

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to carry the cameras.

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Tristan is tagging sharks as part of
his ongoing research,

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so this is a good opportunity
to add our onboard technology.

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He's helped by shark expert
Grant Johnson.

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And to catch the sharks,
they're using a simple float system.

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The beauty of these things
is that if the float starts moving

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up and down, then you know
you've caught a shark,

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so we can actually get
to that animal really quickly.

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So it's a very effective way
and a safe way of fishing

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for these animals, because we can
bring the shark to the side

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of the boat, work it up, measure it,
place our camera tag

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in a short period of time.

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And within minutes, they're in luck.

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Oh, we've got something already.
We've got a shark.

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Yeah, we've got something moving
already. Look at that -

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five minutes and we've already
got something hit a bait.

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This place is just
littered with sharks.

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How much the float moves is an
indication of how big the shark is.

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Look at the buoy, man.
The buoy's getting pulled down.

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That is not small, that's towing
that around.

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That is definitely not small!
I'm saying bull.

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You're going bull? Yeah.
I'm predicting... Look at that.

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I mean, if it is a bull...

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Look at that! Holy... Look at that!

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Oh, my God, dude!

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That is a three-metre tiger shark.

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OK!

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Tiger sharks are at the very top
of the food chain.

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They'll even eat other sharks.

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But its own safety is top priority,
so the team works carefully.

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OK, we got her, we got her.

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It's incredibly rare to catch
this species,

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and Tristan wants to make
the most of it.

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Like reef sharks,

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tiger sharks use coral habitats,

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but they explore
other environments, too.

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So if we can attach a camera,
we can analyse the wider ecosystem

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through the eyes of one
of the world's greatest predators.

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Our onboard system has been
designed with the anatomy

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of the shark in mind.

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It can operate down to 500 metres,
film in HD,

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and even record depth
and temperature.

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With everything safely attached,

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it's time for this incredible
predator to capture

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its underwater world.

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Away she goes. Away she goes.

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Unbelievable.

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Wow.

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Good work. Unreal. How's your back?

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Totally fine, totally fine.

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I was not expecting that.

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This is becoming
very interesting indeed.

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Wow.

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Five hours later, the camera
automatically comes off,

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but finding it in the open ocean
is a tricky task,

246
00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:49,740
so Tristan is relying
on more technology.

247
00:14:51,780 --> 00:14:53,340
Another 20 seconds.

248
00:14:53,340 --> 00:14:56,540
The camera is equipped
with a satellite beacon,

249
00:14:56,540 --> 00:15:00,540
which Tristan can detect
on this hand-held device.

250
00:15:00,540 --> 00:15:04,940
That satellite tag is emitting
its code every 90 seconds.

251
00:15:06,420 --> 00:15:10,220
And I'm getting a bearing
on where it actually is.

252
00:15:10,220 --> 00:15:12,900
Another 15 seconds
and we should be good.

253
00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:14,660
You can see the water is much
clearer here,

254
00:15:14,660 --> 00:15:17,380
so hopefully the tiger shark
got us some good...
DEVICE BEEPS

255
00:15:17,380 --> 00:15:20,540
Oh. Oh, yeah, this way.
Slightly this way.

256
00:15:20,540 --> 00:15:24,020
Tristan needs to find the tag
quickly, before it gets swept out

257
00:15:24,020 --> 00:15:27,140
to rougher seas beyond the reef.

258
00:15:27,140 --> 00:15:28,420
You have a reef line here,

259
00:15:28,420 --> 00:15:31,420
basically it's all the way along the
east side of the island,

260
00:15:31,420 --> 00:15:33,460
and then we have the
tongue of the ocean,

261
00:15:33,460 --> 00:15:37,060
that just drops off to this,
almost 3,000 metres in some

262
00:15:37,060 --> 00:15:38,940
of these sections here.

263
00:15:38,940 --> 00:15:42,420
And what I'm hoping is that
this tiger shark made its way out

264
00:15:42,420 --> 00:15:45,060
onto the reef and cruised
along that reef and maybe made some

265
00:15:45,060 --> 00:15:46,380
deep dives down,

266
00:15:46,380 --> 00:15:49,860
and we can see some of those
deep-water habitats.

267
00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:53,020
Suddenly... Straight to the right.

268
00:15:53,020 --> 00:15:56,100
..a flash of orange stands out
against the blue.

269
00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:57,820
How did I know Grant would spot it?

270
00:16:00,380 --> 00:16:03,100
Camera still on it? Yeah.

271
00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:06,940
The LED is still on.

272
00:16:06,940 --> 00:16:08,940
Disco, disco!

273
00:16:11,700 --> 00:16:16,420
I'm very happy. Tag's intact,
no evidence of rubbing or anything,

274
00:16:16,420 --> 00:16:19,260
the satellite tag worked perfectly.

275
00:16:19,260 --> 00:16:21,420
Let's hope there's some
magic in here.

276
00:16:21,420 --> 00:16:23,620
It's going to be amazing
to see what's on that, dude.

277
00:16:23,620 --> 00:16:26,100
It has been down to the bottom of
the ocean. I know, I know!

278
00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:27,660
Very excited.

279
00:16:27,660 --> 00:16:29,500
It's a brilliant success.

280
00:16:30,740 --> 00:16:35,580
And back on dry land, Tristan and
Grant take a look at the footage.

281
00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:37,220
She's moving quick.

282
00:16:37,220 --> 00:16:39,900
Oh, you see some little - what is
that, little coral heads

283
00:16:39,900 --> 00:16:42,700
or sargassum that she's
starting to pass through?

284
00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:45,420
There's the wall,
there's the drop-off. Yeah.

285
00:16:45,420 --> 00:16:49,260
Is she going to go down it?
She's just going off the edge. Yeah.

286
00:16:49,260 --> 00:16:51,860
So that's got to be the
dropping of the tongue of the ocean.

287
00:16:51,860 --> 00:16:53,860
Yeah, exactly.

288
00:16:53,860 --> 00:16:56,580
She is going deeper and deeper
and deeper.

289
00:16:56,580 --> 00:16:59,300
Look at how dark the water
is getting.

290
00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:01,860
Look... Is that the bottom?
Yeah, that's the bottom.

291
00:17:01,860 --> 00:17:04,620
From the depth gauge built
into our camera,

292
00:17:04,620 --> 00:17:07,940
we know that the shark
is 160 metres deep.

293
00:17:09,100 --> 00:17:12,340
That's more than five times deeper
than the average scuba diver

294
00:17:12,340 --> 00:17:14,180
is allowed to go.

295
00:17:14,180 --> 00:17:16,820
One kind of amazing thing
to consider is that she is

296
00:17:16,820 --> 00:17:19,620
potentially showing us parts
of the ocean that no-one

297
00:17:19,620 --> 00:17:20,900
has seen before.

298
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:22,740
She is getting so deep.

299
00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:28,020
This is not anywhere that a scuba
diver would be exploring. Exactly.

300
00:17:28,020 --> 00:17:32,700
This footage has helped Tristan
see what the shark sees,

301
00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:35,500
and he thinks it may have dived
deep to search for the prey

302
00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:37,540
in the water above.

303
00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:38,980
To me, it makes sense.

304
00:17:38,980 --> 00:17:42,580
If you're a, you know, a fast-moving
ambush kind of predator,

305
00:17:42,580 --> 00:17:46,500
you go along the bed like that,
and then you can launch an attack

306
00:17:46,500 --> 00:17:48,940
without being detected. Right.

307
00:17:48,940 --> 00:17:52,940
The camera's in-built thermometer
also shows it's five degrees colder

308
00:17:52,940 --> 00:17:55,660
down here than at the surface.

309
00:17:55,660 --> 00:18:00,420
My suspicion is that they're making
these excursions onto the flats

310
00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:03,980
to hunt for turtles, stingrays,
smaller coastal sharks,

311
00:18:03,980 --> 00:18:07,980
and then going back into
the deeper water to recover.

312
00:18:07,980 --> 00:18:12,660
This cold, deep water helps
the shark cool off after hunting

313
00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:15,340
in the warm, shallow sandflats,

314
00:18:15,340 --> 00:18:18,380
letting it stay in
peak performance mode -

315
00:18:18,380 --> 00:18:22,180
critical for an apex predator
like this.

316
00:18:22,180 --> 00:18:24,700
Hey! The tag is off. It fell off.

317
00:18:24,700 --> 00:18:27,820
Yeah, it popped off,
we saw her tail.

318
00:18:27,820 --> 00:18:31,340
Well, that worked unbelievably
well for the first effort

319
00:18:31,340 --> 00:18:33,220
on a big tiger shark.

320
00:18:33,220 --> 00:18:35,460
I totally agree.

321
00:18:35,460 --> 00:18:39,500
It's a promising start, but Tristan
still needs to deploy the camera

322
00:18:39,500 --> 00:18:43,100
on one of the most important
species in the ecosystem -

323
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:45,340
Caribbean reef sharks.

324
00:18:45,340 --> 00:18:49,020
He hopes they'll take us close
to the coral, letting us see

325
00:18:49,020 --> 00:18:51,900
how healthy the local reef is.

326
00:18:51,900 --> 00:18:54,740
So the team will try again
another time.

327
00:19:01,860 --> 00:19:05,060
Back in the Atlantic Ocean
on the island of Sal,

328
00:19:05,060 --> 00:19:08,300
our turtle cam has been
deployed for 24 hours.

329
00:19:11,580 --> 00:19:15,220
Biologists Albert and Christophe
need to find out if the loggerheads

330
00:19:15,220 --> 00:19:17,860
feed here during the nesting season.

331
00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:23,980
If we can film this behaviour,
it will prove that this marine

332
00:19:23,980 --> 00:19:29,300
ecosystem is vital for the turtles
and needs protecting.

333
00:19:29,300 --> 00:19:32,300
But first, we have to get
the camera back.

334
00:19:33,740 --> 00:19:37,100
It's seven o'clock in the morning,
we've just had a ping from the GPS

335
00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:39,380
on the turtle's camera, so it must
have come off

336
00:19:39,380 --> 00:19:41,060
and floated up to the surface.

337
00:19:41,060 --> 00:19:44,100
We're heading out on a boat
in the hope that we can find it.

338
00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:48,940
We can only get a satellite
location every few hours,

339
00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:51,380
so it's a race to find
the camera before the current

340
00:19:51,380 --> 00:19:52,820
carries it off course.

341
00:19:58,940 --> 00:20:02,500
To help us, we're also using
a VHF radio antenna.

342
00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:09,700
But sometimes our own eyesight

343
00:20:09,700 --> 00:20:12,100
is better than
the latest technology.

344
00:20:24,340 --> 00:20:27,140
THEY SHOUT

345
00:20:30,260 --> 00:20:34,460
I cannot believe that - our
keen-eyed skipper spotted it.

346
00:20:43,580 --> 00:20:45,780
Amazing.

347
00:20:45,780 --> 00:20:47,420
Still largely intact.

348
00:20:50,300 --> 00:20:53,540
Quite something, that this has spent
24 hours on the back of

349
00:20:53,540 --> 00:20:56,820
a loggerhead turtle.

350
00:20:56,820 --> 00:21:00,420
But will our footage provide the
insight that Albert and Christophe

351
00:21:00,420 --> 00:21:02,940
have been waiting for?

352
00:21:02,940 --> 00:21:05,820
Will it show her feeding
in local waters?

353
00:21:07,260 --> 00:21:11,820
Time to take a look with Albert
and Christophe back at the lab.

354
00:21:11,820 --> 00:21:14,540
So this really is the big moment.

355
00:21:14,540 --> 00:21:17,500
All of those long nights on
the beach deploying these cameras,

356
00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:19,740
and we've got the footage here,
that we're going to see

357
00:21:19,740 --> 00:21:21,140
for the first time.

358
00:21:21,140 --> 00:21:22,420
Tell me about it!

359
00:21:22,420 --> 00:21:25,060
Just press play. Let's go.
OK, here we go.

360
00:21:31,220 --> 00:21:32,340
Nice.

361
00:21:35,620 --> 00:21:38,620
The view from the camera
is crystal clear,

362
00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:43,500
and straight away, our turtle
rewrites a common scientific theory.

363
00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:45,220
Female loggerheads

364
00:21:45,220 --> 00:21:48,980
were thought to be solitary
during the nesting season.

365
00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:51,460
Oh, wow. Is that another turtle?
It is.

366
00:21:51,460 --> 00:21:53,380
Oh, wow. It is another turtle.

367
00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:56,700
Oh, that's so cool.

368
00:21:56,700 --> 00:21:57,940
Look at that.

369
00:21:59,580 --> 00:22:01,580
Are they fighting? Are they playing?

370
00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:06,300
Oh, there's another one!

371
00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:08,300
Oh, my.

372
00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:09,780
So crazy.

373
00:22:17,460 --> 00:22:19,300
What is that?

374
00:22:19,300 --> 00:22:21,420
It's like a...a shipwreck?

375
00:22:21,420 --> 00:22:24,180
Oh, that's an anchor, actually.

376
00:22:24,180 --> 00:22:26,780
Well, that's cool. Actually,
I know where this place is.

377
00:22:26,780 --> 00:22:29,460
That's so cool.

378
00:22:29,460 --> 00:22:32,700
She's made this sort of
definite beeline for that anchor.

379
00:22:32,700 --> 00:22:36,500
I suppose it's a really prominent,
prominent feature

380
00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:38,340
there in the bottom.

381
00:22:38,340 --> 00:22:40,220
Oh, my God.

382
00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:43,100
What's she doing? Is she feeding?
She is. Wow, she is!

383
00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:45,260
She's feeding on
the seaweed on the anchor.

384
00:22:48,700 --> 00:22:50,140
That's unbelievable.

385
00:22:53,820 --> 00:22:56,460
And one of the really,
really interesting elements

386
00:22:56,460 --> 00:22:59,380
is that it's so soon
after the nesting.

387
00:22:59,380 --> 00:23:02,060
I certainly did not expect that.

388
00:23:02,060 --> 00:23:06,060
It's the first time ever
that we've seen this behaviour.

389
00:23:07,980 --> 00:23:11,780
Exquisite. This turtle is going
to put me out of a job.

390
00:23:11,780 --> 00:23:15,580
Put every underwater
cameraperson out of a job.

391
00:23:15,580 --> 00:23:18,380
This is the evidence
we were looking for.

392
00:23:18,380 --> 00:23:21,620
It proves that these turtles
DO feed during their

393
00:23:21,620 --> 00:23:23,460
five-month breeding season.

394
00:23:23,460 --> 00:23:27,740
So this marine ecosystem
needs more protection -

395
00:23:27,740 --> 00:23:33,660
and that can't come soon enough,
based on what she films next.

396
00:23:33,660 --> 00:23:36,860
Is that a mesh over there?
It looks like a mesh, a net.

397
00:23:36,860 --> 00:23:38,700
Oh, man.

398
00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:41,940
That's a massive fishing net.

399
00:23:41,940 --> 00:23:42,940
That's awful.

400
00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:52,100
It does reveal one of the many
dangers they are exposed to.

401
00:23:54,260 --> 00:23:55,980
Now she's biting the net,

402
00:23:55,980 --> 00:23:58,380
she's trying to feed
through the net.

403
00:24:00,540 --> 00:24:03,980
Imagine if she manages
to break this up

404
00:24:03,980 --> 00:24:06,100
and then swallows the parts.

405
00:24:08,540 --> 00:24:10,180
Who knows what's next,

406
00:24:10,180 --> 00:24:12,220
whether she chokes on it...

407
00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:17,660
This huge abandoned ghost net
is a stark reminder of why

408
00:24:17,660 --> 00:24:20,780
these waters need safeguarding.

409
00:24:20,780 --> 00:24:24,380
Thankfully, our turtle swims off,
and out into deeper water.

410
00:24:30,060 --> 00:24:35,780
And she feeds again, this time
on a jelly-like sea squirt.

411
00:24:35,780 --> 00:24:37,780
I mean, this is sort of foraging,

412
00:24:37,780 --> 00:24:39,460
sort of constantly grazing

413
00:24:39,460 --> 00:24:41,620
that she's doing here.

414
00:24:41,620 --> 00:24:43,860
You can see, like,
pieces floating around,

415
00:24:43,860 --> 00:24:46,540
so she's definitely feeding on that.

416
00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:48,580
Feeding in this way,

417
00:24:48,580 --> 00:24:51,980
is that enough sort of food
for her in a day,

418
00:24:51,980 --> 00:24:55,460
if she's constantly just browsing
her way through the ocean?

419
00:24:55,460 --> 00:24:56,900
I want to say no.

420
00:24:56,900 --> 00:25:02,300
As you know and you've seen, nesting
is really, really energy consuming.

421
00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:07,300
So I believe that they top up
their reserves right now.

422
00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:11,100
Dive and feed complete, she heads
towards the surface for a breath.

423
00:25:13,380 --> 00:25:16,220
Oh, another turtle there.
Another turtle.

424
00:25:16,220 --> 00:25:20,700
It's got a big barnacle on it.
Yeah. That's an old one.

425
00:25:20,700 --> 00:25:24,740
Look how much stuff she has
on the shell.

426
00:25:24,740 --> 00:25:27,780
She's biting her.
She's biting the carapace.

427
00:25:27,780 --> 00:25:32,500
I'm pretty sure that our loggerhead
is chewing off the seaweed

428
00:25:32,500 --> 00:25:36,100
and probably the barnacle
off the other loggerhead.

429
00:25:38,980 --> 00:25:43,420
It's amazing to see so much life
growing on that turtle,

430
00:25:43,420 --> 00:25:45,620
but also following
the turtle around,

431
00:25:45,620 --> 00:25:47,060
this sort of moving ecosystem.

432
00:25:47,060 --> 00:25:48,740
Totally.

433
00:25:48,740 --> 00:25:51,100
And when you actually
protect a turtle,

434
00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:53,180
you also protect all the ecosystem

435
00:25:53,180 --> 00:25:56,180
around them - the fish,
the entire habitat.

436
00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:02,140
You see, if we did not have
the camera,

437
00:26:02,140 --> 00:26:04,580
but only a tagging device,
like a GPS system,

438
00:26:04,580 --> 00:26:07,820
we would never know
that that turtle spent

439
00:26:07,820 --> 00:26:13,060
so much time at the surface
with another turtle. Yeah.

440
00:26:13,060 --> 00:26:15,580
This behaviour is very rare to see.

441
00:26:15,580 --> 00:26:18,820
I mean, again, it's the first time,
and I'm a professional diver,

442
00:26:18,820 --> 00:26:21,940
I dive quite a lot here,
and I've never seen that.

443
00:26:23,860 --> 00:26:26,900
So does this, in some way,
rewrite the science books

444
00:26:26,900 --> 00:26:29,300
on what we know about these animals?

445
00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:31,180
It certainly rewrites my knowledge.

446
00:26:31,180 --> 00:26:33,860
The only way to see these sort
of behaviours

447
00:26:33,860 --> 00:26:35,860
is through these cameras.

448
00:26:37,660 --> 00:26:41,340
From what we've learnt
from this turtle, can that be used

449
00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:44,580
to help protect different turtle
populations around the world?

450
00:26:44,580 --> 00:26:48,660
During this footage, these
behaviours, and it's beautiful,

451
00:26:48,660 --> 00:26:52,300
like, it will help people understand
why we need to protect them,

452
00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:54,540
why we need to stop polluting
our oceans,

453
00:26:54,540 --> 00:26:56,620
why we need to stop overfishing.

454
00:26:58,180 --> 00:27:02,620
The Cabo Verde aggregation
is probably the second largest

455
00:27:02,620 --> 00:27:04,300
aggregation in the world.

456
00:27:04,300 --> 00:27:06,860
If we lose this aggregation,
the entire species

457
00:27:06,860 --> 00:27:10,020
is in true danger of extinction.

458
00:27:10,020 --> 00:27:11,860
When we started
this adventure, like,

459
00:27:11,860 --> 00:27:14,220
putting the cameras
on the turtles,

460
00:27:14,220 --> 00:27:18,060
there was no way we were
expecting to see so much.

461
00:27:20,540 --> 00:27:22,980
Our turtle's footage
brings new insight

462
00:27:22,980 --> 00:27:25,380
into the loggerheads'
hidden world...

463
00:27:27,220 --> 00:27:31,060
..revealing that they're more
social than we ever imagined,

464
00:27:31,060 --> 00:27:34,300
and that they DO feed
during the nesting season.

465
00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:37,100
A world first for science,

466
00:27:37,100 --> 00:27:39,820
and it's the proof that
Albert and Christophe needed

467
00:27:39,820 --> 00:27:43,060
to push for greater protection
of these vital waters.

468
00:27:45,940 --> 00:27:49,780
And I hope it safeguards the future
of this beautiful species

469
00:27:49,780 --> 00:27:52,780
on Cape Verde for
many years to come.

470
00:28:00,740 --> 00:28:04,420
It's not only animals that live
beneath the waves that have a hidden

471
00:28:04,420 --> 00:28:05,980
side to their lives.

472
00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:11,020
I'm about to meet some animals
who will take our cameras on land,

473
00:28:11,020 --> 00:28:14,740
in water and up in the air
to solve some mysteries.

474
00:28:19,020 --> 00:28:20,020
Gannets.

475
00:28:22,420 --> 00:28:26,140
They're one of the most
aerobatic sea birds in the world.

476
00:28:26,140 --> 00:28:29,380
Renowned for their
spectacular high dives,

477
00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:31,300
they can drop like an arrow

478
00:28:31,300 --> 00:28:35,260
from over 30 metres up
and strike the water

479
00:28:35,260 --> 00:28:37,900
at 80km per hour.

480
00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:41,940
These feathered torpedoes
can plunge 20 metres underwater,

481
00:28:41,940 --> 00:28:44,580
where they can pick off their meal.

482
00:28:46,460 --> 00:28:49,900
To protect themselves during these
legendary stunts, they're equipped

483
00:28:49,900 --> 00:28:53,580
with extremely strong neck muscles
and a spongy plate of bone

484
00:28:53,580 --> 00:28:57,140
at the front of their skull
to cushion the impact.

485
00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,860
They are famous for their incredible
hunting skills,

486
00:29:02,860 --> 00:29:06,980
but how do they find small shoals of
fish hidden underwater

487
00:29:06,980 --> 00:29:10,220
in the wide-open ocean?

488
00:29:10,220 --> 00:29:12,660
I can stand on a gannet colony
like this,

489
00:29:12,660 --> 00:29:16,860
and with a big, long lens,
get quite intimate views,

490
00:29:16,860 --> 00:29:20,180
but that's just half
the story, really.

491
00:29:20,180 --> 00:29:24,420
Given that gannets can fly up to
250 miles away from their nest,

492
00:29:24,420 --> 00:29:28,180
it would be impossible for me
to follow an individual to find out

493
00:29:28,180 --> 00:29:31,460
exactly what it's doing
that far away.

494
00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:35,140
So this is a job for
our mini-camera technology.

495
00:29:35,140 --> 00:29:41,060
I would say that we are pretty much
guaranteed to get some dramatic

496
00:29:41,060 --> 00:29:43,700
footage from an onboard camera.

497
00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:47,180
And when they're not flying
around dramatic clifftop colonies

498
00:29:47,180 --> 00:29:51,020
like this, they are soaring over
or plunging into the ocean.

499
00:29:52,660 --> 00:29:56,300
In Ireland, Dr Mark Jessopp
is trying to unravel some

500
00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:57,980
of the gannet's mysteries.

501
00:29:59,180 --> 00:30:02,220
For a number of years, we've been
able to put GPS tracking devices

502
00:30:02,220 --> 00:30:05,180
on birds, and that effectively tells
us where animals are going

503
00:30:05,180 --> 00:30:07,660
when they're out at sea,
and where they go to forage.

504
00:30:07,660 --> 00:30:10,340
But we're still not sure
how they forage or what the cues are

505
00:30:10,340 --> 00:30:13,900
that they might use
to say, "There's food here."

506
00:30:13,900 --> 00:30:18,020
In 60 years, sea bird populations
in general, including puffins,

507
00:30:18,020 --> 00:30:21,060
have declined by 70% -

508
00:30:21,060 --> 00:30:22,700
but not gannets.

509
00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:24,540
They are thriving.

510
00:30:26,580 --> 00:30:30,660
Mark wants to use our cameras to see
how gannets find their food,

511
00:30:30,660 --> 00:30:35,540
because he thinks that's
what makes them so successful.

512
00:30:35,540 --> 00:30:38,220
Gannets are a really fascinating
species. You know, they're one

513
00:30:38,220 --> 00:30:41,420
of those species that have bucked
the trend of global sea bird

514
00:30:41,420 --> 00:30:44,900
declines, and gannets tend
to be increasing in populations.

515
00:30:44,900 --> 00:30:47,300
So we really want to understand
how and why they're doing it.

516
00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:49,820
One of the theories is that
they're getting supplemental food

517
00:30:49,820 --> 00:30:51,820
from humans through
fisheries discards.

518
00:30:51,820 --> 00:30:55,060
Ideally, I'd love to see something
like fishing vessels,

519
00:30:55,060 --> 00:30:57,060
perhaps other animals.

520
00:30:57,060 --> 00:31:00,300
You know, pie in the sky,
maybe we'll see some dolphins

521
00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:02,980
and feeding associations
with dolphins.

522
00:31:02,980 --> 00:31:06,020
You know, the sky's the limit
here, really.

523
00:31:06,020 --> 00:31:09,460
If Mark can discover how gannets
find their food,

524
00:31:09,460 --> 00:31:14,380
he can work out how to help other
sea birds that are in decline.

525
00:31:14,380 --> 00:31:17,580
So we need a camera that's
waterproof and lightweight,

526
00:31:17,580 --> 00:31:20,940
yet strong enough to
withstand a big impact.

527
00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:25,900
It's one of the hardest challenges
we've ever faced.

528
00:31:25,900 --> 00:31:29,100
Tackling the task
is tech wizard Chris Watts.

529
00:31:29,100 --> 00:31:31,580
He's built cutting-edge cameras

530
00:31:31,580 --> 00:31:34,540
for an incredible
variety of animals.

531
00:31:34,540 --> 00:31:39,300
And he's spent three months
developing a bespoke gannet camera.

532
00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:41,180
So this has been our solution.

533
00:31:41,180 --> 00:31:42,740
It can record in HD.

534
00:31:42,740 --> 00:31:44,260
It can do slow motion.

535
00:31:44,260 --> 00:31:47,900
We've also fitted it with the
widest-angle lens we can,

536
00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:53,100
and we're hoping that we can get it
on the back of the bird,

537
00:31:53,100 --> 00:31:54,340
sort of base of the tail,

538
00:31:54,340 --> 00:31:57,060
which means that we're just
not going to miss any action.

539
00:31:57,060 --> 00:31:58,420
It's coming in at...

540
00:32:00,380 --> 00:32:05,100
..60g, which is
pretty much perfect.

541
00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:07,740
That's 2% of the gannet's
body weight -

542
00:32:07,740 --> 00:32:10,180
easily light enough
for them to fly with,

543
00:32:10,180 --> 00:32:13,740
and the battery should
last for almost two hours.

544
00:32:13,740 --> 00:32:17,300
Packing this much technology
into such a small space

545
00:32:17,300 --> 00:32:19,740
is an incredible achievement.

546
00:32:19,740 --> 00:32:24,420
But can it deal with the impact
of hitting the water at high speed?

547
00:32:25,620 --> 00:32:28,460
When gannets strike
the surface of the sea,

548
00:32:28,460 --> 00:32:32,540
they experience almost 9G
as they decelerate,

549
00:32:32,540 --> 00:32:35,260
which is more than most
fighter pilots can contend with.

550
00:32:37,260 --> 00:32:40,460
To see if our camera can withstand
such high forces,

551
00:32:40,460 --> 00:32:44,900
Chris is going to some extreme
measures to put them to the test.

552
00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:52,660
Today, this is the moment of truth,
really. If it's not waterproof

553
00:32:52,660 --> 00:32:55,260
and it can't take the impact
of hitting the water,

554
00:32:55,260 --> 00:32:56,980
then it's all for nothing.

555
00:32:56,980 --> 00:33:02,580
To simulate a gannet's dive, Chris
is strapping the camera to an arrow,

556
00:33:02,580 --> 00:33:04,620
ready to be fired out to sea.

557
00:33:06,660 --> 00:33:09,260
So there we have it -
the camera arrow.

558
00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:15,500
It seems a slightly crazy way
of testing a camera,

559
00:33:15,500 --> 00:33:18,620
but I can't think
of a better way.

560
00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:38,140
A fishing reel brings it back
to shore for inspection.

561
00:33:47,460 --> 00:33:50,100
So, does it look like it's survived?

562
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:53,940
There's nothing in the front.
Nope. So...

563
00:33:53,940 --> 00:33:55,660
Yeah, good.

564
00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:57,460
A triumph.

565
00:33:57,460 --> 00:34:01,780
Even after repeated trials,
the camera remains intact.

566
00:34:01,780 --> 00:34:04,260
Now it's time for the real thing.

567
00:34:08,860 --> 00:34:12,860
5km out in the Irish Sea,
Mark and his team are heading

568
00:34:12,860 --> 00:34:15,740
to the remote Saltee Islands -

569
00:34:15,740 --> 00:34:18,500
home to over 7,000
breeding gannets.

570
00:34:21,900 --> 00:34:26,420
The onboard camera will only record
for two hours, so the team needs

571
00:34:26,420 --> 00:34:29,380
to recruit a gannet
that's just about to go fishing.

572
00:34:31,980 --> 00:34:34,620
Birds can sit here at the nest
for three or four days,

573
00:34:34,620 --> 00:34:38,060
and the batteries will only last
so long, and so we want to make sure

574
00:34:38,060 --> 00:34:41,060
we're getting a bird just as it's
about to leave.

575
00:34:41,060 --> 00:34:42,940
The parents work in shifts -

576
00:34:42,940 --> 00:34:46,140
while one guards the chick,
the other goes foraging

577
00:34:46,140 --> 00:34:48,020
for up to four days.

578
00:34:48,020 --> 00:34:49,500
They then swap over,

579
00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:52,300
and that's the moment
Mark is looking for.

580
00:34:52,300 --> 00:34:54,420
We just had one come in, Mark.

581
00:34:54,420 --> 00:34:56,740
The one on the left
has just fed the chick.

582
00:34:56,740 --> 00:34:59,340
So we want the one on the right?
Yes. OK, let's get him. Excellent.

583
00:35:01,460 --> 00:35:04,420
Mark's research project means
he has special permission

584
00:35:04,420 --> 00:35:06,020
to catch these adults.

585
00:35:09,540 --> 00:35:11,020
Ready? Yep.

586
00:35:20,260 --> 00:35:22,540
The chick is safe
with the other parent,

587
00:35:22,540 --> 00:35:24,340
and when our bird is bagged,

588
00:35:24,340 --> 00:35:28,420
it relaxes and Mark can do
a few essential health checks.

589
00:35:28,420 --> 00:35:30,780
That's three kilos exactly.

590
00:35:32,660 --> 00:35:36,340
This one is in top condition -
a perfect candidate

591
00:35:36,340 --> 00:35:38,580
for carrying our camera.

592
00:35:38,580 --> 00:35:41,940
So we attach it to the central
tail feathers, and that means

593
00:35:41,940 --> 00:35:44,300
that it's far enough away
from where the head goes hitting

594
00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:45,900
into the water at high speeds,

595
00:35:45,900 --> 00:35:47,860
so that the tags don't
sort of get ripped off

596
00:35:47,860 --> 00:35:50,980
by that hydrodynamic drag.

597
00:35:50,980 --> 00:35:54,980
This tape should hold the camera
in place, but it's soft enough

598
00:35:54,980 --> 00:35:58,060
that the bird could rip
it off if it's not comfortable,

599
00:35:58,060 --> 00:36:02,940
which means there's a very real
risk these cameras won't come

600
00:36:02,940 --> 00:36:03,940
back at all.

601
00:36:05,820 --> 00:36:08,540
You have it? Yep.
GANNET SQUAWKS

602
00:36:08,540 --> 00:36:11,500
With everything in place,
it's time for this bird

603
00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:13,900
to reveal its secret life at sea.

604
00:36:19,180 --> 00:36:21,180
Flying away quite nice and strong.

605
00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:22,700
Seems to be very happy,

606
00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:26,300
going off hopefully on a nice
foraging trip for us as well.

607
00:36:26,300 --> 00:36:29,020
Shall we go get another?
I think we should.

608
00:36:29,020 --> 00:36:30,820
Everything is switched on.

609
00:36:49,820 --> 00:36:54,340
And after just 24 hours, the first
member of our feathered film crew

610
00:36:54,340 --> 00:36:56,580
returns with our camera intact.

611
00:37:00,060 --> 00:37:02,660
Over the chick
and around the bird. Go!

612
00:37:09,820 --> 00:37:12,260
Really looking forward to seeing
what's on the camera.

613
00:37:12,260 --> 00:37:16,100
We have no idea. It's had a very
successful foraging trip, I think.

614
00:37:16,100 --> 00:37:17,900
He feels very heavy.

615
00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:19,980
Oh, you fatty!

616
00:37:19,980 --> 00:37:24,060
This gannet has put on 400g
since it was caught yesterday.

617
00:37:24,060 --> 00:37:26,860
So Mark knows it's been fishing.

618
00:37:26,860 --> 00:37:30,340
We just hope that the camera
was running at the right time.

619
00:37:30,340 --> 00:37:33,100
I'd love to know
what prompted that dive.

620
00:37:33,100 --> 00:37:34,380
What did it see that says,

621
00:37:34,380 --> 00:37:38,140
"This is where I need to dive
to successfully get food"?

622
00:37:38,140 --> 00:37:40,420
The bird is given
a careful health check

623
00:37:40,420 --> 00:37:43,300
and released back into the wild.

624
00:37:48,420 --> 00:37:51,580
Then the team can take a look
at the first batch of footage.

625
00:37:53,260 --> 00:37:54,660
Oh, look at that!

626
00:37:54,660 --> 00:37:57,940
Wow, that's so cool!

627
00:37:57,940 --> 00:38:00,180
Oh, that's just beautiful.

628
00:38:00,180 --> 00:38:02,700
It's very close to the surface
of the water, isn't it?

629
00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:05,460
Isn't it? Much, much closer
to the water than I expected.

630
00:38:05,460 --> 00:38:08,140
It's not travelling very high.

631
00:38:08,140 --> 00:38:10,740
But it's great for people who have
been doing a lot of work

632
00:38:10,740 --> 00:38:13,260
looking at things like gannets'
vulnerability to wind farms,

633
00:38:13,260 --> 00:38:15,220
and obviously when
they're flying that low,

634
00:38:15,220 --> 00:38:18,340
they're well outside of the
sweep area of any turbine.

635
00:38:18,340 --> 00:38:21,940
So you would say that there'd be
very little risk of collision.

636
00:38:21,940 --> 00:38:26,380
I'm really impressed with
the quality of the capture.

637
00:38:26,380 --> 00:38:29,620
The video was really good
as well, and really detailed.

638
00:38:29,620 --> 00:38:31,860
Like, you can see excellent detail.

639
00:38:31,860 --> 00:38:35,100
Even the shape of
the wing as it flaps.

640
00:38:35,100 --> 00:38:37,940
Oh, hang on. Back it up, back it up.
Back it up.

641
00:38:37,940 --> 00:38:39,580
There we go.

642
00:38:39,580 --> 00:38:42,420
And to their delight,
the team have captured some

643
00:38:42,420 --> 00:38:44,620
diving behaviour.

644
00:38:44,620 --> 00:38:47,900
Oh, plunge dives. Oh! Wow!

645
00:38:47,900 --> 00:38:51,420
My goodness me! That is lovely.

646
00:38:51,420 --> 00:38:54,260
I have always wanted to see that.
All right.

647
00:38:54,260 --> 00:38:56,860
Yeah, the trip was worth it
for that one alone. Yeah.

648
00:38:56,860 --> 00:38:58,620
Can we see that again? There we go.

649
00:38:58,620 --> 00:39:01,620
But look at that beautiful bank
into the dive.

650
00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:05,860
You can see the other...
It's going to the left.

651
00:39:05,860 --> 00:39:08,620
It's just such powerful...wingbeats.

652
00:39:08,620 --> 00:39:10,540
Such a great angle.

653
00:39:11,940 --> 00:39:14,620
Oh, look at that! Straight down.

654
00:39:14,620 --> 00:39:15,580
Straight down.

655
00:39:17,140 --> 00:39:19,660
There's so much
amazing footage there.

656
00:39:20,980 --> 00:39:22,860
It's a brilliant start.

657
00:39:22,860 --> 00:39:25,100
But because the action
happens so fast,

658
00:39:25,100 --> 00:39:28,940
it's hard to see how the gannets
are finding their food.

659
00:39:28,940 --> 00:39:31,980
So the team sets out to get
more onboard footage,

660
00:39:31,980 --> 00:39:36,060
but this time the cameras are
set to record in slow motion.

661
00:39:36,060 --> 00:39:40,820
So this time we should see precisely
how they're finding the fish.

662
00:39:44,780 --> 00:39:48,460
In total, seven gannets
take our cameras out to sea

663
00:39:48,460 --> 00:39:52,300
and return them safely
back to the colony.

664
00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:56,300
And after carefully analysing
the footage, Mark can see exactly

665
00:39:56,300 --> 00:39:59,780
how the gannets are finding
their food.

666
00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:04,300
So we're looking at one
of my favourite sequences here,

667
00:40:04,300 --> 00:40:07,420
it's one where all of a sudden
we start seeing common dolphins

668
00:40:07,420 --> 00:40:08,780
up at the surface,

669
00:40:08,780 --> 00:40:11,580
and within seconds the gannets
are going straight towards

670
00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:12,780
those dolphins and diving.

671
00:40:14,940 --> 00:40:16,940
It's really exciting to see them,

672
00:40:16,940 --> 00:40:19,140
and I never thought we'd get footage

673
00:40:19,140 --> 00:40:21,660
that was of a resolution
that we could identify the species.

674
00:40:21,660 --> 00:40:24,420
You know, they're quite clearly
common dolphins.

675
00:40:24,420 --> 00:40:27,020
Underwater, the camera's
in-built microphone

676
00:40:27,020 --> 00:40:29,860
has even recorded their calls.

677
00:40:29,860 --> 00:40:31,700
DOLPHIN CALLS

678
00:40:35,580 --> 00:40:37,540
Mark believes the birds are using
the dolphins

679
00:40:37,540 --> 00:40:39,180
to help find their food.

680
00:40:42,060 --> 00:40:44,860
And he's found evidence
that they're following other

681
00:40:44,860 --> 00:40:46,940
marine animals, too.

682
00:40:46,940 --> 00:40:49,940
We had to go through essentially
frame by frame here to see this,

683
00:40:49,940 --> 00:40:53,860
but you can quite clearly see
two whales, at least whale blows.

684
00:40:53,860 --> 00:40:57,700
And we see that the gannet is
immediately turning towards those,

685
00:40:57,700 --> 00:41:01,980
and easily within 15 to 16 seconds,
that gannet is now diving

686
00:41:01,980 --> 00:41:05,260
right where those whales
were at the surface.

687
00:41:05,260 --> 00:41:07,940
So it's indicating that
those gannets are perhaps

688
00:41:07,940 --> 00:41:09,780
using the whales themselves there

689
00:41:09,780 --> 00:41:13,020
as a visual cue to say,
"This is where other predators are,

690
00:41:13,020 --> 00:41:15,580
"therefore, this is probably
where there's food."

691
00:41:15,580 --> 00:41:19,060
Fantastic to see these odd bits
of behaviour that we would

692
00:41:19,060 --> 00:41:20,780
have ordinarily missed.

693
00:41:23,300 --> 00:41:27,060
The footage shows that gannets are
using other species to effectively

694
00:41:27,060 --> 00:41:31,460
find small patches of food
in a large, open habitat.

695
00:41:31,460 --> 00:41:35,660
And this has big implications
for how we can serve them.

696
00:41:35,660 --> 00:41:37,460
If we want to preserve gannets,

697
00:41:37,460 --> 00:41:40,420
we need to preserve the visual cues
that they're using, which means

698
00:41:40,420 --> 00:41:42,220
protecting our dolphin populations,

699
00:41:42,220 --> 00:41:44,540
it means protecting our whale
populations.

700
00:41:44,540 --> 00:41:46,700
All of these populations
are interconnected.

701
00:41:46,700 --> 00:41:49,300
So we need to take
an ecosystems approach

702
00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:51,660
to our conservation objectives.

703
00:41:51,660 --> 00:41:54,380
In general, sea bird
populations are declining,

704
00:41:54,380 --> 00:41:58,060
partly because of a drop
in fish stocks.

705
00:41:58,060 --> 00:42:00,660
But gannets don't seem
to be affected -

706
00:42:00,660 --> 00:42:03,420
and our footage shows why.

707
00:42:03,420 --> 00:42:05,940
So there's this wonderful sequence
where we can see just out

708
00:42:05,940 --> 00:42:07,980
on the horizon a fishing vessel.

709
00:42:07,980 --> 00:42:11,100
And the gannet pretty much
instantly starts to orient

710
00:42:11,100 --> 00:42:13,900
towards and fly towards
that fishing vessel.

711
00:42:13,900 --> 00:42:16,700
Must be at least 100 other gannets
around the fishing vessel here,

712
00:42:16,700 --> 00:42:20,220
which might indicate that gannets
have learnt to use fishing vessels

713
00:42:20,220 --> 00:42:22,700
as a foraging cue,
or as a cue that,

714
00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:25,100
"There is food to be had here."

715
00:42:25,100 --> 00:42:28,860
Importantly, there are very few
other sea bird species capitalising

716
00:42:28,860 --> 00:42:30,540
on this free meal.

717
00:42:30,540 --> 00:42:32,980
It's almost exclusively gannets
around here, and they're

718
00:42:32,980 --> 00:42:34,620
quite an aggressive species.

719
00:42:34,620 --> 00:42:37,220
So they're managing to successfully
outcompete other sea birds

720
00:42:37,220 --> 00:42:39,860
for that fisheries resource.

721
00:42:39,860 --> 00:42:43,740
By exploiting fishing vessels,
they get access to a steady supply

722
00:42:43,740 --> 00:42:46,740
of food, even when their prey
is in decline.

723
00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:53,140
The onboard cameras
have been a success.

724
00:42:53,140 --> 00:42:56,580
They've shown us how these birds
use other animals and even fishermen

725
00:42:56,580 --> 00:42:59,140
to find their next meal.

726
00:43:07,060 --> 00:43:11,780
Back in the Bahamas, shark scientist
Dr Tristan Guttridge is trying

727
00:43:11,780 --> 00:43:15,420
to deploy our cameras on
some Caribbean reef sharks.

728
00:43:17,540 --> 00:43:21,660
They can swim further and faster
than a diver, so they can show us

729
00:43:21,660 --> 00:43:26,420
how healthy this ecosystem is -
and their survival depends on it.

730
00:43:27,820 --> 00:43:31,060
This Caribbean reef shark, one
of the most abundant species

731
00:43:31,060 --> 00:43:35,300
here in the Bahamas and really one
of the most important,

732
00:43:35,300 --> 00:43:40,660
both ecologically, for their role
within the coral reef system,

733
00:43:40,660 --> 00:43:42,860
and then also economically as well -

734
00:43:42,860 --> 00:43:45,500
a huge number of people
from all over the world

735
00:43:45,500 --> 00:43:48,740
will come here to dive
with reef sharks.

736
00:43:50,340 --> 00:43:52,940
And it doesn't take long
to find one.

737
00:43:55,420 --> 00:43:59,300
Oh, boy. Perfect size once again.

738
00:43:59,300 --> 00:44:02,380
Every shark that Tristan
catches is measured and tagged

739
00:44:02,380 --> 00:44:06,420
as part of his long-term study
to understand the abundance

740
00:44:06,420 --> 00:44:08,580
and distribution of
sharks in the area.

741
00:44:08,580 --> 00:44:11,100
And 189.

742
00:44:11,100 --> 00:44:14,340
Nice big male reef shark.

743
00:44:14,340 --> 00:44:17,140
Right, and let's put the tag on.

744
00:44:17,140 --> 00:44:21,740
This is basically a microchip tag
that has a unique number.

745
00:44:21,740 --> 00:44:25,740
And you put it in the muscle
next to the dorsal fin.

746
00:44:25,740 --> 00:44:29,860
And the idea... It's literally
the size of a grain of rice.

747
00:44:29,860 --> 00:44:32,420
And it would be what you
would put in your dog.

748
00:44:32,420 --> 00:44:34,460
And every time you pass
a reader over it,

749
00:44:34,460 --> 00:44:36,780
it activates and tells
you that number.

750
00:44:36,780 --> 00:44:38,900
So we're able to actually
ID this animal,

751
00:44:38,900 --> 00:44:41,140
hopefully for the rest of its life.

752
00:44:41,140 --> 00:44:44,340
We try and be as gentle as we can,
we're also trying to do this

753
00:44:44,340 --> 00:44:46,940
as quickly as possible,
so that we can get that shark

754
00:44:46,940 --> 00:44:48,580
off and swimming.

755
00:44:48,580 --> 00:44:51,860
The microchip provides
important basic information,

756
00:44:51,860 --> 00:44:55,980
while the camera gives us a
shark's-eye view of their world.

757
00:44:57,460 --> 00:45:00,620
The camera mount has soft pads
on the inside of the clamp,

758
00:45:00,620 --> 00:45:02,700
which gently hold it in place.

759
00:45:04,300 --> 00:45:05,500
OK, we ready? Hang on.

760
00:45:06,940 --> 00:45:07,940
Yeah.

761
00:45:26,660 --> 00:45:30,540
Over the next few days, Tristan
and Grant manage to deploy four

762
00:45:30,540 --> 00:45:33,580
more shark cameras along different
sections of the reef

763
00:45:33,580 --> 00:45:36,340
to help get a good
overview of the area.

764
00:45:37,540 --> 00:45:38,620
Perfect.

765
00:45:40,260 --> 00:45:43,340
All right, I think we're
ready to release.

766
00:45:43,340 --> 00:45:44,940
Wow.

767
00:45:44,940 --> 00:45:49,020
Mature, about 1.7 metres long.

768
00:45:49,020 --> 00:45:51,620
Hopefully it'll share some secrets
with us

769
00:45:51,620 --> 00:45:53,540
about the health of this system.

770
00:45:53,540 --> 00:45:54,860
And it swam off great.

771
00:45:54,860 --> 00:45:57,220
We didn't have it alongside
the boat very long.

772
00:45:57,220 --> 00:45:59,260
I'm really excited. Awesome.

773
00:45:59,260 --> 00:46:01,180
Well done, everyone.

774
00:46:01,180 --> 00:46:04,020
Each camera will record
vital information about the health

775
00:46:04,020 --> 00:46:05,900
of this ecosystem.

776
00:46:05,900 --> 00:46:08,820
So it's critical Tristan
and the team find them again.

777
00:46:11,140 --> 00:46:16,620
Crossing my fingers that we get five
hours of beautiful reef footage

778
00:46:16,620 --> 00:46:19,780
from this Caribbean reef shark.

779
00:46:19,780 --> 00:46:21,900
BEEPING

780
00:46:21,900 --> 00:46:22,940
There it is!

781
00:46:24,380 --> 00:46:27,340
Ha-ha! Yes!

782
00:46:27,340 --> 00:46:29,620
Getting too good at this.

783
00:46:30,820 --> 00:46:33,260
Like, 12:30, one o'clock.

784
00:46:33,260 --> 00:46:35,100
Yes!

785
00:46:35,100 --> 00:46:36,700
Fantastic.

786
00:46:39,860 --> 00:46:44,860
In total, the sharks have captured
almost 25 hours of onboard footage,

787
00:46:44,860 --> 00:46:47,580
giving us a much more detailed
look at their world

788
00:46:47,580 --> 00:46:49,700
than any diver could achieve.

789
00:46:52,380 --> 00:46:53,620
This is pretty cool.

790
00:46:53,620 --> 00:46:56,020
Look at that, look at that.
Oh, big barracuda.

791
00:46:57,860 --> 00:47:01,060
I love being able to see
what they are seeing.

792
00:47:03,300 --> 00:47:06,620
But what the sharks have
filmed is worrying.

793
00:47:06,620 --> 00:47:10,300
There's a lot, a lot, a lot of algae
overgrowth on some of these

794
00:47:10,300 --> 00:47:12,340
reef patches that he's
passed through.

795
00:47:12,340 --> 00:47:14,420
You can see some signs
of improvement.

796
00:47:14,420 --> 00:47:17,580
There's certain hard corals
growing, but a lot

797
00:47:17,580 --> 00:47:20,220
of algae overgrowth
in some of these areas.

798
00:47:20,220 --> 00:47:22,860
Too much algae
can reduce the oxygen levels

799
00:47:22,860 --> 00:47:24,620
and block the sunlight,

800
00:47:24,620 --> 00:47:27,780
killing the coral,
which then has a negative effect

801
00:47:27,780 --> 00:47:32,780
on everything in the food chain,
from wrasse to reef sharks.

802
00:47:34,060 --> 00:47:35,660
There's a lot of fishermen here.

803
00:47:35,660 --> 00:47:38,460
So they could be putting a lot
of pressure on some of those reef

804
00:47:38,460 --> 00:47:43,660
fishes that would be normally eating
the algae and then maintaining

805
00:47:43,660 --> 00:47:45,420
the health of the system.

806
00:47:45,420 --> 00:47:48,060
You've got, obviously,
pollution as well.

807
00:47:48,060 --> 00:47:50,820
And then on top of that,
global warming.

808
00:47:50,820 --> 00:47:54,420
Overfishing, pollution
and climate change

809
00:47:54,420 --> 00:47:57,980
could all contribute
to this thick algae.

810
00:47:57,980 --> 00:48:01,540
They're global issues, and will only
get better if we continue

811
00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:05,100
to reduce our impact
on the natural world.

812
00:48:05,100 --> 00:48:08,100
The cameras have provided
a great insight into the health

813
00:48:08,100 --> 00:48:10,980
of some of the most remote
corners of this reef.

814
00:48:10,980 --> 00:48:15,100
But they've also revealed
some surprising shark behaviour.

815
00:48:16,900 --> 00:48:19,340
This is cool. Look at that,
a tight little tunnel.

816
00:48:19,340 --> 00:48:22,180
Don't tell me it's going
to go through there.

817
00:48:22,180 --> 00:48:25,580
Wow! That's amazing.
Right underneath the cave.

818
00:48:25,580 --> 00:48:27,660
It's really amazing.
Through the archway.

819
00:48:27,660 --> 00:48:31,500
I mean, I don't know about you,
but I've never really seen

820
00:48:31,500 --> 00:48:34,620
one swimming this
deep into the reef, like,

821
00:48:34,620 --> 00:48:37,020
down these little gullies.

822
00:48:37,020 --> 00:48:39,980
It makes you wonder
if he's looking for food.

823
00:48:39,980 --> 00:48:41,860
That could be a strategy, I guess -

824
00:48:41,860 --> 00:48:46,100
stay close to the floor,
search around the reef structure,

825
00:48:46,100 --> 00:48:48,780
and basically ambush a reef fish.

826
00:48:48,780 --> 00:48:52,780
It can't be easy hunting
reef fish on the reef.

827
00:48:52,780 --> 00:48:55,020
There are so many hiding places.

828
00:48:55,020 --> 00:48:57,300
Reef sharks can sniff out prey or

829
00:48:57,300 --> 00:49:00,900
use special electroreceptors
to detect the heartbeat

830
00:49:00,900 --> 00:49:02,380
of their next meal.

831
00:49:02,380 --> 00:49:06,740
But it's hard to catch a fish
before it escapes into the reef.

832
00:49:06,740 --> 00:49:09,700
So by weaving through the coral,
there's a chance this shark

833
00:49:09,700 --> 00:49:12,860
can sneak up on its next victim.

834
00:49:12,860 --> 00:49:16,700
It might also keep them hidden from
bigger predators, like tiger sharks,

835
00:49:16,700 --> 00:49:20,940
who, as we know,
patrol this area.

836
00:49:20,940 --> 00:49:25,140
Seeing this behaviour is something
that only our cameras could reveal.

837
00:49:25,140 --> 00:49:28,980
As soon as a diver enters the water,
the sharks behave differently,

838
00:49:28,980 --> 00:49:31,220
and there's no way a human
could keep up with them

839
00:49:31,220 --> 00:49:34,060
through these tight coral corridors.

840
00:49:34,060 --> 00:49:35,420
Oh, oh.

841
00:49:35,420 --> 00:49:37,460
That's where the tag came off.

842
00:49:40,580 --> 00:49:42,980
No matter how much scuba
diving you do,

843
00:49:42,980 --> 00:49:44,540
you're never going to be able

844
00:49:44,540 --> 00:49:47,260
to spend that much time
with a shark. Exactly.

845
00:49:47,260 --> 00:49:48,780
And that's the big difference.

846
00:49:48,780 --> 00:49:51,860
That's the thing that these tags
do for us, is we get five hours

847
00:49:51,860 --> 00:49:55,140
of uninterrupted footage
of where these animals

848
00:49:55,140 --> 00:49:57,340
are going and how they're
using their habitats.

849
00:49:57,340 --> 00:50:01,420
The cameras have been a success,
showing us that these sharks

850
00:50:01,420 --> 00:50:06,660
can hunt among the coral in ways
Tristan had never seen before.

851
00:50:06,660 --> 00:50:10,420
And the footage proves that this
reef needs further protection

852
00:50:10,420 --> 00:50:15,340
from the global impact of mankind
if it's to remain a shark Mecca.

853
00:50:18,780 --> 00:50:22,420
Our oceans support
some truly gigantic animals,

854
00:50:22,420 --> 00:50:26,180
and our next mission is on the coast
of California,

855
00:50:26,180 --> 00:50:27,540
in Ano Nuevo State Park,

856
00:50:27,540 --> 00:50:30,460
where giants come ashore to breed.

857
00:50:33,460 --> 00:50:36,500
These are northern elephant seals.

858
00:50:36,500 --> 00:50:39,500
The bulls can reach four metres long

859
00:50:39,500 --> 00:50:41,900
and weigh over 2.5 tonnes.

860
00:50:41,900 --> 00:50:44,540
They battle to become beach master.

861
00:50:49,820 --> 00:50:51,940
Despite their blubbery appearance,

862
00:50:51,940 --> 00:50:55,100
these animals are extreme athletes.

863
00:50:56,580 --> 00:51:02,020
They swim 9,000 kilometres a year
and can dive 1.5km deep,

864
00:51:02,020 --> 00:51:05,700
drop their heart rate to
just three beats per minute,

865
00:51:05,700 --> 00:51:08,500
and can hold their breath
for two hours.

866
00:51:13,460 --> 00:51:17,180
Every winter, this area
becomes a huge creche,

867
00:51:17,180 --> 00:51:19,100
filled with over 2,000 females,

868
00:51:19,100 --> 00:51:22,820
each giving birth
to a single precious pup.

869
00:51:25,540 --> 00:51:29,780
But after just four weeks,
the mums head out to sea

870
00:51:29,780 --> 00:51:32,060
and abandon their young forever.

871
00:51:35,340 --> 00:51:39,820
Scientists Roxanne Beltran and
Patrick Robinson know a huge amount

872
00:51:39,820 --> 00:51:41,460
about the lives of the adults,

873
00:51:41,460 --> 00:51:44,620
but very little is understood
about the pups,

874
00:51:44,620 --> 00:51:47,220
and they want to find out more.

875
00:51:47,220 --> 00:51:50,340
The moms actually leave
before the pups ever go

876
00:51:50,340 --> 00:51:51,540
into the water.

877
00:51:51,540 --> 00:51:54,980
So these juveniles, when they become
independent from their moms,

878
00:51:54,980 --> 00:51:58,380
are trying to figure out
how to be seals.

879
00:51:58,380 --> 00:52:00,820
They live off their fat reserves
from their mother's milk

880
00:52:00,820 --> 00:52:02,580
for the next two months,

881
00:52:02,580 --> 00:52:05,100
before they head out to sea
and fend for themselves.

882
00:52:07,020 --> 00:52:09,540
During this time, they train for
adult life,

883
00:52:09,540 --> 00:52:12,100
much of which is done underwater,

884
00:52:12,100 --> 00:52:15,860
where they can swim faster
and further than we can,

885
00:52:15,860 --> 00:52:17,380
making it hard to study them.

886
00:52:17,380 --> 00:52:18,820
When they're in the water,

887
00:52:18,820 --> 00:52:20,660
as soon as they dip
below the surface,

888
00:52:20,660 --> 00:52:22,660
we can't actually see
what they're doing.

889
00:52:22,660 --> 00:52:25,740
And so there's been this huge gap
in our knowledge of what these seals

890
00:52:25,740 --> 00:52:27,580
are actually doing in the two months

891
00:52:27,580 --> 00:52:30,780
before they leave for that
trip to sea.

892
00:52:30,780 --> 00:52:35,180
With any luck, our onboard cameras
will show what these pups are doing

893
00:52:35,180 --> 00:52:38,300
to prepare themselves
for adult life.

894
00:52:41,780 --> 00:52:45,980
Roxanne and Patrick find four young
seals to carry the cameras.

895
00:52:45,980 --> 00:52:48,700
Although the pups are only
a few weeks old,

896
00:52:48,700 --> 00:52:51,700
they're already enormous.

897
00:52:51,700 --> 00:52:54,740
They put on 90 kilos
in their first month,

898
00:52:54,740 --> 00:52:58,980
fuelled by milk
which is 55% fat -

899
00:52:58,980 --> 00:53:01,220
that's more than double cream.

900
00:53:03,500 --> 00:53:07,260
After a few health checks, our
specially designed onboard cameras

901
00:53:07,260 --> 00:53:10,220
are attached with
a temporary nontoxic glue.

902
00:53:10,220 --> 00:53:13,020
During the procedure
we're monitoring everything

903
00:53:13,020 --> 00:53:15,060
from heart rate to respiration rate,

904
00:53:15,060 --> 00:53:18,540
we're making sure that everything is
going appropriately with the seal.

905
00:53:18,540 --> 00:53:21,780
I've spent the past 15 years
studying the adult animals,

906
00:53:21,780 --> 00:53:25,180
and we know so much about what
the adult females do

907
00:53:25,180 --> 00:53:26,660
when they're out at sea,

908
00:53:26,660 --> 00:53:29,660
and we don't know very much
about what the young ones are doing

909
00:53:29,660 --> 00:53:31,540
right here next to the colony.

910
00:53:31,540 --> 00:53:34,580
So this is an amazing
opportunity for us.

911
00:53:34,580 --> 00:53:36,580
The cameras will record
for 16 hours,

912
00:53:36,580 --> 00:53:38,620
and have been designed to withstand

913
00:53:38,620 --> 00:53:41,180
the crushing pressure of deep water.

914
00:53:44,900 --> 00:53:46,380
Once they've returned safely,

915
00:53:46,380 --> 00:53:50,020
Roxanne and Patrick are able
to analyse the footage.

916
00:53:50,020 --> 00:53:51,180
Oh, wow.

917
00:53:54,260 --> 00:53:55,780
What is she doing?

918
00:53:57,540 --> 00:53:59,940
They're more graceful
than I thought, like,

919
00:53:59,940 --> 00:54:02,380
just based on how they are on land.

920
00:54:02,380 --> 00:54:05,220
Swimming with the seals
gives Roxanne and Patrick

921
00:54:05,220 --> 00:54:07,660
an entirely new perspective.

922
00:54:07,660 --> 00:54:11,380
And the footage provides a real
revelation about how social

923
00:54:11,380 --> 00:54:13,420
the pups are.

924
00:54:13,420 --> 00:54:16,140
I'm surprised by how active
and interactive they are.

925
00:54:16,140 --> 00:54:19,460
Yeah, I think when adult
elephant seals go out to sea,

926
00:54:19,460 --> 00:54:21,100
they don't interact at all, right?

927
00:54:21,100 --> 00:54:22,740
That's what we think, at least!

928
00:54:22,740 --> 00:54:24,700
Yeah, I don't think there's
any evidence for that.

929
00:54:24,700 --> 00:54:26,380
They're completely solitary at sea.

930
00:54:26,380 --> 00:54:29,820
So the fact that these guys are
interacting in the water is weird.

931
00:54:31,420 --> 00:54:33,780
I wonder if they're just learning
from each other.

932
00:54:33,780 --> 00:54:36,140
I guess, because they get
no parental instruction...

933
00:54:36,140 --> 00:54:39,540
That's right. ..this is helpful
for them in their development.

934
00:54:39,540 --> 00:54:44,220
In all of the footage, the pups only
ever swim in shallow water.

935
00:54:44,220 --> 00:54:46,060
Roxanne and Patrick think that's

936
00:54:46,060 --> 00:54:49,300
because they're too fat
to dive deep.

937
00:54:49,300 --> 00:54:51,340
Despite being so heavy,

938
00:54:51,340 --> 00:54:54,260
all of their blubber
makes them really buoyant.

939
00:54:54,260 --> 00:54:57,340
Without doing anything, she
automatically floats to the surface.

940
00:54:57,340 --> 00:55:00,340
I think that's why she's working
really hard to stay down to explore

941
00:55:00,340 --> 00:55:01,540
the bottom of the ocean,

942
00:55:01,540 --> 00:55:03,900
and maybe why she's
interacting with other seals.

943
00:55:03,900 --> 00:55:06,580
I don't know if they're sort of
helping pin each other down

944
00:55:06,580 --> 00:55:07,820
or what they're doing.

945
00:55:07,820 --> 00:55:10,180
They need the fat in order
to survive a long period of time

946
00:55:10,180 --> 00:55:12,060
while they're learning
how to forage. Yeah.

947
00:55:12,060 --> 00:55:15,060
But it's actually bad for them
because if they're too buoyant

948
00:55:15,060 --> 00:55:16,740
it's difficult to forage.

949
00:55:16,740 --> 00:55:18,660
So... It's a trade-off.

950
00:55:18,660 --> 00:55:20,380
It's a trade-off. Yeah. Yeah.

951
00:55:20,380 --> 00:55:22,260
Swimming around these shallows,

952
00:55:22,260 --> 00:55:25,580
the pups seem to investigate
anything they come across -

953
00:55:25,580 --> 00:55:27,980
even bits of rubbish.

954
00:55:27,980 --> 00:55:29,340
A plastic bag. Plastic?

955
00:55:30,580 --> 00:55:34,020
It's unlikely to mistake
this plastic bag for food,

956
00:55:34,020 --> 00:55:37,060
but they have been known
to get tangled up in waste.

957
00:55:37,060 --> 00:55:40,260
And this playfulness could
explain how that happens.

958
00:55:42,540 --> 00:55:45,620
The cameras also reveal
that these mischievous pups

959
00:55:45,620 --> 00:55:48,580
often chase the local fish.

960
00:55:48,580 --> 00:55:52,820
They're not catching them,
but it's all good practice.

961
00:55:52,820 --> 00:55:55,740
And it's not just the fish
they're toying with.

962
00:55:55,740 --> 00:55:59,060
Surprisingly, they spend a lot
of time playing with seaweed.

963
00:56:00,620 --> 00:56:02,060
What is she doing?

964
00:56:02,060 --> 00:56:05,100
Did she grab it? Yeah. Yeah.

965
00:56:05,100 --> 00:56:06,900
She's dragging it around!

966
00:56:08,820 --> 00:56:10,420
What?!

967
00:56:10,420 --> 00:56:13,980
Playful practice is important
in the development

968
00:56:13,980 --> 00:56:15,500
of many young animals.

969
00:56:15,500 --> 00:56:20,300
For these seals, it may help
build those important diving skills

970
00:56:20,300 --> 00:56:22,340
which later they'll rely on.

971
00:56:27,900 --> 00:56:30,900
After their in-water training,
it looks like they come out

972
00:56:30,900 --> 00:56:32,500
for a rest on the beach,

973
00:56:32,500 --> 00:56:35,380
but the scientists
have a very different theory.

974
00:56:35,380 --> 00:56:39,780
It's hard to see to the untrained
eye, but the seals seem to be

975
00:56:39,780 --> 00:56:41,820
holding their breath.

976
00:56:41,820 --> 00:56:44,180
It doesn't look like they're doing
much here, but I think

977
00:56:44,180 --> 00:56:46,300
what they're actually doing
is figuring out

978
00:56:46,300 --> 00:56:47,940
how to become breath-hold divers,

979
00:56:47,940 --> 00:56:50,380
so that they can find food during
their first trip to sea.

980
00:56:50,380 --> 00:56:53,180
Like, developing their physiology.
Yeah, exactly.

981
00:56:53,180 --> 00:56:55,260
I mean, you can see that seal is
holding its breath,

982
00:56:55,260 --> 00:56:57,460
and will probably hold its breath
for a long time.

983
00:56:57,460 --> 00:57:00,220
I wonder, just like we would train
for a marathon by doing

984
00:57:00,220 --> 00:57:02,300
little runs, they're doing
little breath holds

985
00:57:02,300 --> 00:57:06,540
to basically figure out how they can
get down to food on breath hold.

986
00:57:06,540 --> 00:57:09,740
This seal holds its breath
for almost 12 minutes.

987
00:57:10,700 --> 00:57:15,140
So it's got some practice to do
before it can manage two hours,

988
00:57:15,140 --> 00:57:17,020
like the adults.

989
00:57:17,020 --> 00:57:20,260
By filming themselves,
these pups have shown us

990
00:57:20,260 --> 00:57:22,660
how they prepare for life at sea.

991
00:57:24,100 --> 00:57:27,260
After being left alone without
a mother, they seem to train

992
00:57:27,260 --> 00:57:29,220
together, trying to hunt,

993
00:57:29,220 --> 00:57:34,180
exploring their environment and
practising to hold their breath -

994
00:57:34,180 --> 00:57:38,300
key skills that will make
them elite ocean divers.

995
00:57:42,700 --> 00:57:45,220
Next time, we travel down under

996
00:57:45,220 --> 00:57:50,100
to solve the mysteries of some
iconic Australian animals.

997
00:57:50,100 --> 00:57:53,060
We discover the surprising
nightlife of koalas...

998
00:57:53,060 --> 00:57:55,820
Oh, wow. Look at that.

999
00:57:55,820 --> 00:57:59,620
..reveal how kangaroos
are affected by urbanisation...

1000
00:57:59,620 --> 00:58:01,460
We have to make a decision -

1001
00:58:01,460 --> 00:58:04,140
do we want to live
alongside kangaroos?

1002
00:58:04,140 --> 00:58:07,220
..and we create our most
advanced camera yet

1003
00:58:07,220 --> 00:58:10,620
to find out what's drawing
thousands of flying foxes

1004
00:58:10,620 --> 00:58:13,540
to a new life in the city.

1005
00:58:13,540 --> 00:58:15,460
Ha-ha! He's going over the road.

1006
00:58:48,500 --> 00:58:52,540
As a cameraman, I've filmed
wildlife all over the planet,

1007
00:58:52,540 --> 00:58:55,380
but there are limits
to where I can go.

1008
00:58:55,380 --> 00:58:58,540
She's returning to the place
that I can't follow her.

1009
00:58:59,860 --> 00:59:04,140
So in this series, it's the animals
that are doing the filming,

1010
00:59:04,140 --> 00:59:08,180
to reveal the secret side of their
lives we've never seen before.

1011
00:59:08,180 --> 00:59:09,580
Oh, that's so cool!

1012
00:59:09,580 --> 00:59:11,220
That is lovely!

1013
00:59:12,460 --> 00:59:15,100
Over the years, we've designed
pioneering mini cameras

1014
00:59:15,100 --> 00:59:17,300
for a huge range of animals.

1015
00:59:17,300 --> 00:59:19,140
It's like a job interview.

1016
00:59:19,140 --> 00:59:21,940
Everything is made to measure.

1017
00:59:21,940 --> 00:59:25,460
Just figuring out what her new
bit of bling is.

1018
00:59:26,460 --> 00:59:28,300
And we've teamed up with scientists

1019
00:59:28,300 --> 00:59:31,180
who want to see the world
from an animal's perspective.

1020
00:59:31,180 --> 00:59:33,740
To learn about the challenges
they face,

1021
00:59:33,740 --> 00:59:36,260
and help protect them in the future.

1022
00:59:36,260 --> 00:59:38,060
She is potentially showing us

1023
00:59:38,060 --> 00:59:40,860
parts of the ocean that no-one
has seen before.

1024
00:59:40,860 --> 00:59:42,540
GULL CRIES

1025
00:59:42,540 --> 00:59:47,020
Our unconventional film crew
reveals surprising behaviour.

1026
00:59:47,020 --> 00:59:48,820
Oh, there's another one!

1027
00:59:48,820 --> 00:59:51,620
And help us help them.

1028
00:59:51,620 --> 00:59:54,420
Woohoo! Couldn't be happier
than that.

1029
00:59:55,540 --> 00:59:59,060
In this special episode,
we head to Australia,

1030
00:59:59,060 --> 01:00:01,420
where our cameras will answer
scientists' questions

1031
01:00:01,420 --> 01:00:04,020
about some of the most unique
animals on the planet.

1032
01:00:06,060 --> 01:00:07,900
Are koalas' evening activities

1033
01:00:07,900 --> 01:00:11,620
at odds with their dozy daytime
reputation?

1034
01:00:12,780 --> 01:00:17,100
Can kangaroos survive on the edge
of urban expansion?

1035
01:00:17,100 --> 01:00:22,780
And what has drawn 20,000 bats
to life in a new city?

1036
01:00:22,780 --> 01:00:25,300
This is their world,

1037
01:00:25,300 --> 01:00:27,020
their footage,

1038
01:00:27,020 --> 01:00:29,380
and their story.

1039
01:00:40,060 --> 01:00:42,140
On Australia's east coast...

1040
01:00:43,620 --> 01:00:46,020
..high in the towering trees
of Queensland,

1041
01:00:46,020 --> 01:00:49,060
is one of the country's
most iconic species.

1042
01:00:50,740 --> 01:00:53,460
Best known for their love
of eucalyptus leaves

1043
01:00:53,460 --> 01:00:55,420
and dozing through the heat
of the day.

1044
01:00:59,340 --> 01:01:00,900
The koala.

1045
01:01:02,340 --> 01:01:06,380
With specialised claws for gripping
tree trunks up to 30 metres up...

1046
01:01:09,100 --> 01:01:11,220
..and an excellent sense of smell

1047
01:01:11,220 --> 01:01:13,340
for seeking out the freshest
gum leaves,

1048
01:01:13,340 --> 01:01:17,860
these marsupials are superbly
adapted to their environment.

1049
01:01:20,020 --> 01:01:22,860
With speckled bottoms to help
with camouflage,

1050
01:01:22,860 --> 01:01:25,100
these specially toughened rumps

1051
01:01:25,100 --> 01:01:28,940
enable koalas to wedge themselves
comfortably in tree forks,

1052
01:01:28,940 --> 01:01:32,540
where they can sleep for up to
20 hours a day.

1053
01:01:35,020 --> 01:01:39,420
Their tree-hugging posture
is more than an affectionate
arboreal embrace, too.

1054
01:01:40,540 --> 01:01:43,180
Tree trunks can be as much as
five degrees cooler

1055
01:01:43,180 --> 01:01:45,900
than the surrounding
air temperature.

1056
01:01:45,900 --> 01:01:49,660
Which, in this region, can reach
a punishing 40 degrees Celsius

1057
01:01:49,660 --> 01:01:51,100
in the height of summer.

1058
01:01:53,740 --> 01:01:56,380
Tree hugging is a means
to keep cool,

1059
01:01:56,380 --> 01:01:59,220
as well as look
effortlessly chilled.

1060
01:02:00,820 --> 01:02:04,260
This one may look blissfully
happy nestled in a tree,

1061
01:02:04,260 --> 01:02:06,700
but koalas are in trouble.

1062
01:02:10,220 --> 01:02:13,060
The open forest and bushland
they call home

1063
01:02:13,060 --> 01:02:14,860
is rapidly disappearing.

1064
01:02:17,300 --> 01:02:19,100
Lost to agriculture,

1065
01:02:19,100 --> 01:02:21,340
urban development

1066
01:02:21,340 --> 01:02:23,580
and ever-increasing bushfires.

1067
01:02:23,580 --> 01:02:25,020
FLAMES ROAR

1068
01:02:28,180 --> 01:02:33,420
There are now fewer than 35,000
left in this corner of Queensland.

1069
01:02:34,580 --> 01:02:39,220
And each year, over 2,000
homeless koalas are taken into care.

1070
01:02:41,700 --> 01:02:44,940
While much is known
about koalas' daytime habits,

1071
01:02:44,940 --> 01:02:47,460
what they do at night
is still a mystery.

1072
01:02:49,820 --> 01:02:52,020
This information, however,
could be crucial

1073
01:02:52,020 --> 01:02:54,460
to help conserve their population
in the future.

1074
01:02:59,300 --> 01:03:01,580
This is Hidden Vale,

1075
01:03:01,580 --> 01:03:04,060
a 12,500-acre private property

1076
01:03:04,060 --> 01:03:07,020
where the land and koala population
are protected.

1077
01:03:09,860 --> 01:03:11,740
It could be a candidate location

1078
01:03:11,740 --> 01:03:14,060
to release koalas
who have lost their homes.

1079
01:03:16,820 --> 01:03:19,460
But first, it's vital to know
how much space

1080
01:03:19,460 --> 01:03:22,700
the ones that already live here need
to avoid overcrowding.

1081
01:03:25,940 --> 01:03:27,820
Andrew Tribe and Carmen Butler

1082
01:03:27,820 --> 01:03:29,980
have been tracking
the resident population here

1083
01:03:29,980 --> 01:03:32,460
for the past two and a half years.

1084
01:03:34,900 --> 01:03:37,660
We have, we estimate,
about 60 koalas.

1085
01:03:37,660 --> 01:03:41,140
But at the moment,
we're tracking about 20 of those.

1086
01:03:42,900 --> 01:03:45,740
All our koalas, of course,
are named,

1087
01:03:45,740 --> 01:03:49,100
and we've found that they each
have their own personality.

1088
01:03:49,100 --> 01:03:52,180
Miriam, Dave and Karen

1089
01:03:52,180 --> 01:03:55,580
are just a few of the characters
that call Hidden Vale home.

1090
01:03:57,340 --> 01:04:01,180
Using lightweight GPS collars
and VHF ear tags,

1091
01:04:01,180 --> 01:04:03,300
Andrew is able
to monitor their movements.

1092
01:04:05,180 --> 01:04:09,060
Every 12 hours, we get a reading
of where each koala is.

1093
01:04:09,060 --> 01:04:12,700
Which means we know where it's been,
how far it's travelled.

1094
01:04:12,700 --> 01:04:16,140
We also physically go out
and track them.

1095
01:04:16,140 --> 01:04:20,220
We've been able to establish
how big their home ranges are,

1096
01:04:20,220 --> 01:04:23,860
where they like to go,
with whom they like to interact,

1097
01:04:23,860 --> 01:04:28,340
although we still don't know
about their behaviour at night.

1098
01:04:28,340 --> 01:04:31,180
So, what do they get up to
in the dark?

1099
01:04:31,180 --> 01:04:34,940
Although Andrew's GPS collars
track the koalas' movements,

1100
01:04:34,940 --> 01:04:38,380
he can't see what the animals
are actually doing.

1101
01:04:38,380 --> 01:04:42,580
To find out,
he needs onboard cameras.

1102
01:04:42,580 --> 01:04:46,420
We know they sit in trees
and we know they eat leaves
and that sort of thing,

1103
01:04:46,420 --> 01:04:49,260
but what I'd like to find out
is a bit more detail about that.

1104
01:04:49,260 --> 01:04:52,100
How much time do they spend eating?
How far do they move?

1105
01:04:52,100 --> 01:04:54,300
How far do they move
in the one tree?

1106
01:04:55,540 --> 01:05:00,420
Footage of this behaviour
could really help Andrew's
ongoing tracking studies.

1107
01:05:00,420 --> 01:05:05,260
And, crucially,
identify whether any rescued koalas
could be introduced here.

1108
01:05:07,340 --> 01:05:12,180
For our koala camera build,
it's time to call in designer
Chris Watts.

1109
01:05:14,420 --> 01:05:17,100
An expert in bespoke
camera technology,

1110
01:05:17,100 --> 01:05:20,900
Chris has made cameras for animals
of every shape and size.

1111
01:05:23,180 --> 01:05:25,940
The koalas currently wear a collar
like this,

1112
01:05:25,940 --> 01:05:27,900
with a GPS unit on top.

1113
01:05:27,900 --> 01:05:30,620
And it has a counterweight
underneath, which keeps the aerial

1114
01:05:30,620 --> 01:05:33,060
pointing upwards,
which is really good for signal.

1115
01:05:33,060 --> 01:05:34,820
We're going to take
this weight away,

1116
01:05:34,820 --> 01:05:36,980
and that's where we're going to put
our camera.

1117
01:05:36,980 --> 01:05:39,420
And it's kind of fixed on a hinge,

1118
01:05:39,420 --> 01:05:42,060
which means that when the koala
is upright,

1119
01:05:42,060 --> 01:05:45,140
it can hang against the body.
And that's really good, because

1120
01:05:45,140 --> 01:05:47,820
we don't want a camera sticking out
cos they hug the trees.

1121
01:05:49,980 --> 01:05:52,420
With the cameras built
and ready to deploy,

1122
01:05:52,420 --> 01:05:54,980
it's time to recruit
our koala camera unit.

1123
01:06:00,100 --> 01:06:01,980
The koalas at Hidden Vale are

1124
01:06:01,980 --> 01:06:04,180
captured regularly for health
checks.

1125
01:06:07,900 --> 01:06:12,580
On the catch list this week
are koalas Robyn, Tom and Hunter.

1126
01:06:16,620 --> 01:06:19,220
Andrew's team use a technique
called flagging,

1127
01:06:19,220 --> 01:06:21,460
to encourage the koalas down
from the gum tree,

1128
01:06:21,460 --> 01:06:24,460
and capture them
with a minimum of stress.

1129
01:06:27,380 --> 01:06:28,940
Get ready, mate, get ready.

1130
01:06:33,260 --> 01:06:34,660
Stay still, stay still.

1131
01:06:36,860 --> 01:06:38,100
OK. Well done.

1132
01:06:44,940 --> 01:06:48,900
Safely in their crates, our
koalas make the short trip
back to the vet centre

1133
01:06:48,900 --> 01:06:52,740
for a health assessment,
and to be fitted with our cameras.

1134
01:06:55,340 --> 01:06:56,740
Hunter is first.

1135
01:06:57,820 --> 01:07:00,860
He's lightly anaesthetised and
checked over by the veterinary team.

1136
01:07:00,860 --> 01:07:03,300
0.2 earlier.
Yes, he's still growing.

1137
01:07:06,940 --> 01:07:10,620
He is approximately
three and a half years old.

1138
01:07:10,620 --> 01:07:13,340
And he's in really nice
body condition.

1139
01:07:15,500 --> 01:07:17,540
All checked over,
Chris gets to work

1140
01:07:17,540 --> 01:07:20,340
attaching the camera
to Hunter's collar.

1141
01:07:20,340 --> 01:07:22,180
DEVICE BEEPS

1142
01:07:24,460 --> 01:07:26,860
The camera looks like
it's fitting really nicely.

1143
01:07:26,860 --> 01:07:29,660
And the thing that I wasn't able
to test until now

1144
01:07:29,660 --> 01:07:31,500
is to see how that hinge is working

1145
01:07:31,500 --> 01:07:33,780
and see how it sits
against the chest.

1146
01:07:33,780 --> 01:07:36,580
And it looks like it's spot on,
so that's really good.

1147
01:07:38,660 --> 01:07:41,700
After a few hours' recovery,
Hunter is ready to be released

1148
01:07:41,700 --> 01:07:44,700
back into the tree
where he was found.

1149
01:07:47,740 --> 01:07:49,300
He's ready already.

1150
01:07:49,300 --> 01:07:51,260
He's definitely seen it, hasn't he?

1151
01:07:53,860 --> 01:07:56,300
And if we just stay really still
and really quiet...

1152
01:08:01,620 --> 01:08:04,220
That was a pretty calm release.
Yeah. He's a really good boy.

1153
01:08:04,220 --> 01:08:07,060
He's, um...he's pretty calm.

1154
01:08:07,060 --> 01:08:09,900
But although reunited with his tree,

1155
01:08:09,900 --> 01:08:13,140
Hunter soon decides
he'd prefer a different one.

1156
01:08:15,700 --> 01:08:21,940
An interesting insight into how fast
koalas can move if they want to.

1157
01:08:21,940 --> 01:08:25,180
So although we released Hunter
from the tree in which he was found,

1158
01:08:25,180 --> 01:08:28,780
he came down and ran across
and found this tree, just over here.

1159
01:08:32,820 --> 01:08:37,100
And as Hunter settles into his new
tree, unhindered by his camera,

1160
01:08:37,100 --> 01:08:40,220
Robyn and Tom are also returned
to the tree tops.

1161
01:08:44,460 --> 01:08:48,740
So now, the big test will be,
what shots do we get?

1162
01:08:50,380 --> 01:08:54,620
And - what do these shots tell us
about their night-time movements?

1163
01:09:01,540 --> 01:09:04,100
After a night of recording,

1164
01:09:04,100 --> 01:09:06,980
at first light, Chris, Andrew
and Carmen

1165
01:09:06,980 --> 01:09:09,580
are keen to retrieve the cameras.

1166
01:09:09,580 --> 01:09:12,900
Armed with the koalas'
GPS coordinates,

1167
01:09:12,900 --> 01:09:15,940
it's not long before
they track down Tom.

1168
01:09:15,940 --> 01:09:19,540
Well, he's in a good position,
not too high.

1169
01:09:19,540 --> 01:09:22,420
But it's not all plain sailing.

1170
01:09:22,420 --> 01:09:25,460
If we drop that camera,
it's quite hard, cos he's in a fork,

1171
01:09:25,460 --> 01:09:27,980
knowing which side
that's going to drop. Yes.

1172
01:09:27,980 --> 01:09:32,220
So we might have to maybe all stand
each side and trigger it.

1173
01:09:32,220 --> 01:09:35,340
So whichever way it falls,
we got a chance of hopefully
softening the fall.

1174
01:09:35,340 --> 01:09:37,460
Yes, a slip's catch. Yeah.

1175
01:09:37,460 --> 01:09:41,100
With everyone poised for a catch,
it's time for the release.

1176
01:09:41,100 --> 01:09:44,500
So three, two, one, releasing.

1177
01:09:45,980 --> 01:09:48,260
And the camera drops.

1178
01:09:48,260 --> 01:09:49,980
THEY LAUGH

1179
01:09:51,100 --> 01:09:53,220
Well, it's worked!
That was a little bit far.

1180
01:09:53,220 --> 01:09:56,580
And he's...he's now moved higher,
so that's all right,

1181
01:09:56,580 --> 01:09:59,300
but he's otherwise undisturbed.
OK, that's great.

1182
01:10:01,740 --> 01:10:04,300
Next on the retrieval list
is Hunter,

1183
01:10:04,300 --> 01:10:07,740
who's snoozing through the heat
of the day in an ironbark tree.

1184
01:10:08,980 --> 01:10:11,900
I'm really excited about this one.
Hunter is the big male, isn't he?

1185
01:10:11,900 --> 01:10:14,420
He is, yes. 7.1 kilos.

1186
01:10:14,420 --> 01:10:18,140
But he's quite high, so I'm thinking
maybe we use the tarp on this one.

1187
01:10:18,140 --> 01:10:20,900
Don't want it to land on our heads.
THEY CHUCKLE

1188
01:10:20,900 --> 01:10:23,780
Oblivious to the plans
being made below,

1189
01:10:23,780 --> 01:10:26,140
Hunter remains fast asleep.

1190
01:10:27,580 --> 01:10:30,060
Firmly hugging his camera
to the tree trunk.

1191
01:10:31,740 --> 01:10:35,700
Tarp at the ready,
Andrew releases Hunter's camera.

1192
01:10:35,700 --> 01:10:37,180
Sending.

1193
01:10:37,180 --> 01:10:39,340
But nothing happens.

1194
01:10:40,460 --> 01:10:43,460
Does it say released?
It said, "sending, released".

1195
01:10:43,460 --> 01:10:46,860
Hunter, it seems, is asleep
on the job.

1196
01:10:46,860 --> 01:10:48,380
THEY LAUGH
I think...

1197
01:10:48,380 --> 01:10:51,620
I think, yeah, I think,
Hunter, we need you to move.

1198
01:10:51,620 --> 01:10:53,500
Come on.

1199
01:10:53,500 --> 01:10:56,660
Eventually, Hunter obliges.

1200
01:10:56,660 --> 01:10:59,340
Oh, he's moving! Here we go!

1201
01:10:59,340 --> 01:11:00,660
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

1202
01:11:00,660 --> 01:11:03,420
And this time, the team
have more luck with the catch.

1203
01:11:03,420 --> 01:11:05,660
Good reaction. Better than
last time! Yeah. Amazing!

1204
01:11:05,660 --> 01:11:07,540
While Hunter looks on bemused,

1205
01:11:07,540 --> 01:11:10,260
the team head off to find Robyn
and the final camera.

1206
01:11:12,900 --> 01:11:16,020
And it turns out our smallest koala

1207
01:11:16,020 --> 01:11:19,060
has given the team
their biggest challenge.

1208
01:11:19,060 --> 01:11:21,580
She's actually really, really high.
Yes, she is.

1209
01:11:22,980 --> 01:11:25,540
What do we reckon -
like, 20 metres?

1210
01:11:25,540 --> 01:11:27,380
I'm a bit worried about
being underneath.

1211
01:11:27,380 --> 01:11:30,020
Cos if it hit one branch,
it could ping off and hit us.

1212
01:11:30,020 --> 01:11:32,340
Yeah, there are lots of branches
between us and her.

1213
01:11:32,340 --> 01:11:34,860
We're quite lucky, though,
we've got quite long grass,

1214
01:11:34,860 --> 01:11:36,540
so maybe that will cushion the fall.

1215
01:11:40,940 --> 01:11:44,260
Three, two, one, releasing.

1216
01:11:44,260 --> 01:11:47,460
BEEPING
Oh, here we go! It's coming down!

1217
01:11:47,460 --> 01:11:49,500
Oh! Missed!

1218
01:11:49,500 --> 01:11:52,340
Missed the tarpaulin by that much.

1219
01:11:53,660 --> 01:11:56,740
With all our cameras back,
and mostly in one piece,

1220
01:11:56,740 --> 01:11:58,900
time to see what they reveal.

1221
01:12:03,140 --> 01:12:06,540
At dusk, the team reconvene
to have a look.

1222
01:12:09,020 --> 01:12:12,340
For Carmen and Andrew,
it's a tantalising glimpse

1223
01:12:12,340 --> 01:12:14,660
inside a koala's world.

1224
01:12:16,540 --> 01:12:19,380
And it's a raucous start from
Hunter.

1225
01:12:19,380 --> 01:12:21,460
HUNTER BELLOWS

1226
01:12:23,460 --> 01:12:25,220
Oh, wow, that's cool! Wow!

1227
01:12:25,220 --> 01:12:28,500
He is, what's known as, bellowing.

1228
01:12:30,340 --> 01:12:32,940
And this is the first time
a koala bellow

1229
01:12:32,940 --> 01:12:35,740
has been recorded at this proximity.

1230
01:12:35,740 --> 01:12:38,580
BELLOWING

1231
01:12:38,580 --> 01:12:40,860
Dominant males call out like this

1232
01:12:40,860 --> 01:12:43,940
to advertise themselves
to nearby females,

1233
01:12:43,940 --> 01:12:47,620
and alert other males to stay away.

1234
01:12:53,100 --> 01:12:56,100
Territorial call complete,
it's time for dinner.

1235
01:12:58,780 --> 01:13:00,580
By the looks of the thin branches,

1236
01:13:00,580 --> 01:13:03,660
Hunter is precariously high
in the tree tops,

1237
01:13:03,660 --> 01:13:06,620
reaching out for the newest,
luscious growth.

1238
01:13:08,460 --> 01:13:11,860
It's interesting here with this
footage, to see how their fingers,

1239
01:13:11,860 --> 01:13:16,460
their claws, their digits
actually work as they're climbing.

1240
01:13:16,460 --> 01:13:20,540
Koalas have two opposable thumbs
on each front paw,

1241
01:13:20,540 --> 01:13:24,580
to help clasp tree trunks
and grip branches.

1242
01:13:24,580 --> 01:13:26,540
They've got a very strong grip.

1243
01:13:26,540 --> 01:13:29,300
You haven't been gripped
by a koala yet, have you? No.

1244
01:13:29,300 --> 01:13:32,020
Oh-ho-ho-ho! It's...it's strong.

1245
01:13:33,020 --> 01:13:37,980
Koalas almost exclusively feed
on low-nutrient eucalyptus leaves.

1246
01:13:37,980 --> 01:13:42,420
And they can nibble through
almost half a kilo in one evening.

1247
01:13:44,500 --> 01:13:46,740
These leaves are poisonous
to most animals.

1248
01:13:48,540 --> 01:13:51,180
But koalas have evolved
to digest the toxins.

1249
01:13:54,020 --> 01:13:58,060
And our camera records Hunter
eating for three hours straight.

1250
01:13:59,940 --> 01:14:02,980
Tom, on the other hand,
is on the move.

1251
01:14:07,860 --> 01:14:10,660
It's so easy to forget when you're
watching this night-time footage

1252
01:14:10,660 --> 01:14:13,940
that that's not what they're seeing.
They're in total darkness.

1253
01:14:13,940 --> 01:14:17,820
A koala's eyesight
is their weakest sense.

1254
01:14:17,820 --> 01:14:20,500
So while on the ground,
Tom regularly makes stops

1255
01:14:20,500 --> 01:14:23,500
to check his surroundings.

1256
01:14:23,500 --> 01:14:26,220
But he's obviously
sort of orientating himself.

1257
01:14:26,220 --> 01:14:28,860
He's obviously
deliberately stopping.

1258
01:14:30,180 --> 01:14:32,620
Tom is using his highly developed
sense of smell

1259
01:14:32,620 --> 01:14:36,700
to navigate and assess
his surroundings for danger.

1260
01:14:38,380 --> 01:14:40,500
And he presses on,

1261
01:14:40,500 --> 01:14:44,540
covering almost half a kilometre
of ground in 30 minutes.

1262
01:14:46,380 --> 01:14:51,180
For an arboreal species, this is
a midnight marsupial marathon.

1263
01:14:53,940 --> 01:14:55,700
So, what about Robyn?

1264
01:14:56,780 --> 01:14:58,220
Aw, look at her feet!

1265
01:14:59,460 --> 01:15:03,260
Her footage begins with
a dedicated hunt for a new tree.

1266
01:15:03,260 --> 01:15:05,460
This is interesting,
seeing what she's seeing

1267
01:15:05,460 --> 01:15:08,300
and seeing how she's moving
and she's behaving.

1268
01:15:08,300 --> 01:15:11,420
I wonder if she's got a destination
in mind?

1269
01:15:12,660 --> 01:15:17,300
Female koala home ranges
are usually smaller than the males'.

1270
01:15:17,300 --> 01:15:19,540
The amount of time
Robyn is spending on the ground

1271
01:15:19,540 --> 01:15:23,620
is unexpected, and dangerous.

1272
01:15:23,620 --> 01:15:25,860
I thought she might have
got up a tree much quicker.

1273
01:15:25,860 --> 01:15:28,220
If there's any predators around,
particularly dogs,

1274
01:15:28,220 --> 01:15:30,700
they can pick up her scent
and chase her down.

1275
01:15:32,980 --> 01:15:36,660
After stopping at eight
different trees along the way,

1276
01:15:36,660 --> 01:15:39,380
Robyn finally finds one she likes.

1277
01:15:40,700 --> 01:15:43,540
Wow! That was a very quick, um...
Yes. Mm.

1278
01:15:43,540 --> 01:15:45,620
..jump in that tree. That leap.
It's almost like,

1279
01:15:45,620 --> 01:15:47,900
"I've made up my mind,
I'm going for it".

1280
01:15:47,900 --> 01:15:50,860
Perhaps she got a good
eucalypt smell

1281
01:15:50,860 --> 01:15:54,300
that maybe means there might be
some good food up there.

1282
01:15:54,300 --> 01:15:57,700
A lot of trees have different
tannin levels. Yes.

1283
01:15:57,700 --> 01:15:59,540
So she's sniffing those trees
and deciding,

1284
01:15:59,540 --> 01:16:01,300
"Do I want to go up there and eat?"

1285
01:16:03,020 --> 01:16:06,100
Koalas choose trees
for specific reasons.

1286
01:16:06,100 --> 01:16:08,300
Some are chosen as dedicated
food trees

1287
01:16:08,300 --> 01:16:11,500
and others are selected
for the shelter they offer.

1288
01:16:15,220 --> 01:16:19,060
Within minutes, Robyn is in
the very top of the tree

1289
01:16:19,060 --> 01:16:20,460
she's been searching for.

1290
01:16:20,460 --> 01:16:22,940
Oh, wow! Look at that!

1291
01:16:24,580 --> 01:16:28,900
And as dawn breaks,
she settles in for a snooze.

1292
01:16:32,660 --> 01:16:34,340
That's a great shot, isn't it? Yes.

1293
01:16:37,620 --> 01:16:39,380
CARMEN CHUCKLES

1294
01:16:39,380 --> 01:16:42,620
She's sitting up with both paws
this way.

1295
01:16:42,620 --> 01:16:44,660
It looks like that, doesn't it?
Yeah, yeah.

1296
01:16:44,660 --> 01:16:46,900
Yeah, it's a bit of an embrace.
Holding her paws in her lap.

1297
01:16:46,900 --> 01:16:48,500
Dozes off.

1298
01:16:50,140 --> 01:16:52,980
Oh, wow! Aw! Oh, look,
the sun's really come up now.

1299
01:16:52,980 --> 01:16:54,620
Mm, it has, hasn't it?

1300
01:16:56,060 --> 01:17:00,300
Our koalas have revealed themselves
to be anything but dozy at night.

1301
01:17:02,380 --> 01:17:06,380
A stark contrast to the lazy
layabouts they appear to be
during the day.

1302
01:17:07,900 --> 01:17:10,420
While it was known that koalas
climbed down each night,

1303
01:17:10,420 --> 01:17:12,500
to pick a different tree,

1304
01:17:12,500 --> 01:17:15,540
from observing Tom, Robyn
and Hunter,

1305
01:17:15,540 --> 01:17:18,180
it's clear that koalas
scale many trees

1306
01:17:18,180 --> 01:17:20,180
over the course of an evening.

1307
01:17:21,260 --> 01:17:24,180
And are incredibly picky.

1308
01:17:24,180 --> 01:17:27,780
They spend more time on the ground
than anyone expected.

1309
01:17:29,260 --> 01:17:32,060
It suggests that koalas need
sizeable reserves

1310
01:17:32,060 --> 01:17:36,020
and many different types of trees
to safeguard their future.

1311
01:17:38,900 --> 01:17:41,340
Combined with Hidden Vale's
tracking data,

1312
01:17:41,340 --> 01:17:45,340
our camera footage is key
for reserve managers like Andrew.

1313
01:17:46,820 --> 01:17:48,980
This sort of information,
I think, is vital

1314
01:17:48,980 --> 01:17:52,700
if we're going to manage koalas
and koala populations better.

1315
01:17:54,540 --> 01:17:59,140
In south-east Queensland,
more than 2,000 koalas get brought
into care every year,

1316
01:17:59,140 --> 01:18:02,220
often because of habitat-clearing.

1317
01:18:02,220 --> 01:18:04,380
Many of those koalas
can be rehabilitated

1318
01:18:04,380 --> 01:18:06,740
and released back into the wild,

1319
01:18:06,740 --> 01:18:10,140
but if they're going to survive and
contribute to the wild population,

1320
01:18:10,140 --> 01:18:13,820
we have to find suitable habitat
in which to release them.

1321
01:18:16,260 --> 01:18:19,540
While our camera findings
help Andrew better understand

1322
01:18:19,540 --> 01:18:21,980
the needs of the population
at Hidden Vale,

1323
01:18:21,980 --> 01:18:26,420
they can also help identify other
suitable habitats in Australia.

1324
01:18:26,420 --> 01:18:31,940
And ensure relocated koalas get
exactly what they need to survive.

1325
01:18:37,580 --> 01:18:40,780
It's a quick hop to our next story,

1326
01:18:40,780 --> 01:18:43,660
an altogether
very different marsupial.

1327
01:18:45,300 --> 01:18:46,900
The kangaroo.

1328
01:18:49,180 --> 01:18:52,380
Renowned for the spring
in their step,

1329
01:18:52,380 --> 01:18:56,900
able to leap up to nine metres
in a single stride,

1330
01:18:56,900 --> 01:19:01,780
they can cover ground
as fast as a racehorse.

1331
01:19:01,780 --> 01:19:04,420
Of the four different species
of kangaroo,

1332
01:19:04,420 --> 01:19:08,140
the most numerous
is the eastern grey.

1333
01:19:08,140 --> 01:19:12,100
I've come to find them here,
in Coffs Harbour,

1334
01:19:12,100 --> 01:19:14,940
500km north of Sydney.

1335
01:19:16,460 --> 01:19:20,300
This picturesque coastline
is a growing metropolis

1336
01:19:20,300 --> 01:19:22,780
and a popular holiday destination.

1337
01:19:24,340 --> 01:19:26,980
It's also home to one of
the most dense populations

1338
01:19:26,980 --> 01:19:30,820
of eastern grey kangaroos
in Australia.

1339
01:19:30,820 --> 01:19:36,580
These voracious herbivores
have a huge appetite for grass.

1340
01:19:36,580 --> 01:19:39,820
Grazing as much as ten hours a day.

1341
01:19:41,180 --> 01:19:43,220
But the kangaroos here have taken

1342
01:19:43,220 --> 01:19:45,460
to hanging out with surfers
on the beach.

1343
01:19:48,260 --> 01:19:50,500
The question is, why?

1344
01:19:52,380 --> 01:19:54,980
I'm just trying to get a sense
of this place

1345
01:19:54,980 --> 01:19:57,620
and a sense of the kangaroos
that live here.

1346
01:19:57,620 --> 01:20:01,460
This seems like a really unlikely
place for kangaroos to come.

1347
01:20:01,460 --> 01:20:03,740
And the big question that I have is,

1348
01:20:03,740 --> 01:20:06,740
what are they...what are they doing
here?

1349
01:20:06,740 --> 01:20:09,020
And if I can't answer that question,

1350
01:20:09,020 --> 01:20:11,340
I'm hoping that our cameras can.

1351
01:20:12,780 --> 01:20:15,700
Despite their numbers,
local highway expansion

1352
01:20:15,700 --> 01:20:19,940
and new housing developments
means this mob is under threat.

1353
01:20:21,420 --> 01:20:25,940
And this is a key factor -
the Pacific Motorway.

1354
01:20:26,980 --> 01:20:29,740
At 790km long,

1355
01:20:29,740 --> 01:20:32,060
this coastal road
connects Sydney in the south

1356
01:20:32,060 --> 01:20:33,940
to the Gold Coast in the north.

1357
01:20:37,060 --> 01:20:39,500
But it's confined the roos
of Coffs Harbour

1358
01:20:39,500 --> 01:20:43,140
to a narrow strip of land
between road and sea.

1359
01:20:44,780 --> 01:20:46,940
If four lanes of traffic
aren't enough,

1360
01:20:46,940 --> 01:20:51,180
the fences either side
make it impossible to cross.

1361
01:20:51,180 --> 01:20:54,300
So the kangaroos are trapped here,

1362
01:20:54,300 --> 01:20:56,500
with less and less food
to go around.

1363
01:21:03,660 --> 01:21:07,300
Kangaroos don't come in all shapes,
but they do come in all sizes.

1364
01:21:07,300 --> 01:21:10,940
You've got the big males,
they're called boomers.

1365
01:21:10,940 --> 01:21:12,780
At the opposite end of the scale,

1366
01:21:12,780 --> 01:21:14,940
the little ditty ones
are called joeys,

1367
01:21:14,940 --> 01:21:17,660
and the females are called flyers.

1368
01:21:20,300 --> 01:21:23,540
Because of the urban development,
because of the highway,

1369
01:21:23,540 --> 01:21:27,340
it has changed the dynamics of...of
this population.

1370
01:21:28,420 --> 01:21:32,580
To my untrained eye, these animals
are not in peak condition.

1371
01:21:32,580 --> 01:21:34,700
You see that they're
on the skinny side.

1372
01:21:37,380 --> 01:21:41,420
With limited space and food on offer
between the motorway and ocean,

1373
01:21:41,420 --> 01:21:44,500
the roos have already been pushed
on to the headland,

1374
01:21:44,500 --> 01:21:49,140
and even the dunes, as they
desperately attempt to find food.

1375
01:21:49,140 --> 01:21:52,180
But are they going one step further

1376
01:21:52,180 --> 01:21:55,020
and feeding on the beach itself?

1377
01:21:55,020 --> 01:21:58,900
And, can our cameras prove it?

1378
01:21:58,900 --> 01:22:01,820
Dr Cathy Herbert
from the University of Sydney

1379
01:22:01,820 --> 01:22:06,020
has been studying the population
here for the past five years.

1380
01:22:06,020 --> 01:22:09,060
We've just noticed,
literally within the last year,

1381
01:22:09,060 --> 01:22:11,580
that we're seeing more and more
animals on the beach.

1382
01:22:11,580 --> 01:22:15,020
They're actually foraging on
some of the vegetation,

1383
01:22:15,020 --> 01:22:17,300
on the sand dunes.

1384
01:22:17,300 --> 01:22:19,420
But we're also seeing
some interesting signs

1385
01:22:19,420 --> 01:22:21,620
in terms of their tracks
on the beaches.

1386
01:22:21,620 --> 01:22:25,540
And it's possible that maybe
they're foraging on some sort of
food source,

1387
01:22:25,540 --> 01:22:28,140
which would be a really interesting
and unique observation

1388
01:22:28,140 --> 01:22:29,980
for this particular species.

1389
01:22:29,980 --> 01:22:33,220
The eastern grey kangaroo
tends to be most active

1390
01:22:33,220 --> 01:22:37,700
early in the morning and at dusk,
when we can't see them.

1391
01:22:37,700 --> 01:22:40,100
So by getting video footage,
particularly overnight

1392
01:22:40,100 --> 01:22:41,740
and really early in the morning,

1393
01:22:41,740 --> 01:22:43,700
we might be able to unravel
this mystery

1394
01:22:43,700 --> 01:22:45,380
and figure out what they're doing.

1395
01:22:47,460 --> 01:22:51,820
Kangaroos are crepuscular,
feeding at dawn and dusk.

1396
01:22:51,820 --> 01:22:55,340
So if they are going down to
the water line in the early hours,

1397
01:22:55,340 --> 01:22:57,380
the tracks are gone by daybreak.

1398
01:22:58,820 --> 01:23:00,820
These kangaroos coming down
onto the beach,

1399
01:23:00,820 --> 01:23:02,500
they're motivated by something,

1400
01:23:02,500 --> 01:23:05,100
and that's the mystery,
that's the question. Yeah.

1401
01:23:06,340 --> 01:23:08,140
We can see them hopping down,

1402
01:23:08,140 --> 01:23:10,300
we see them slowing down,

1403
01:23:10,300 --> 01:23:13,260
and then the tides
wash the tracks away. Yeah.

1404
01:23:14,460 --> 01:23:18,820
Nobody's really done a thorough
investigation of what they're doing

1405
01:23:18,820 --> 01:23:22,380
and how they're utilising
that beach environment. Yeah.

1406
01:23:25,060 --> 01:23:27,940
The shoreline is certainly not
an ideal habitat

1407
01:23:27,940 --> 01:23:29,660
for these ravenous roos.

1408
01:23:31,140 --> 01:23:34,180
So, what could they be feeding on
by the water's edge?

1409
01:23:35,380 --> 01:23:38,580
It's something I hope
our cameras can reveal.

1410
01:23:39,860 --> 01:23:41,500
But how do you create a camera

1411
01:23:41,500 --> 01:23:44,100
that can withstand
being bounced around?

1412
01:23:45,540 --> 01:23:48,780
It's another unique challenge
for Chris.

1413
01:23:48,780 --> 01:23:50,580
Hey, Chris. You all right?

1414
01:23:50,580 --> 01:23:52,500
Let's talk kangaroos and cameras.

1415
01:23:52,500 --> 01:23:56,300
We'll try to use neoprene, which
is kind of a stretchy material,

1416
01:23:56,300 --> 01:23:58,140
so it will move with the animal.

1417
01:23:58,140 --> 01:24:02,180
And we have got a release mechanism
which is controllable by us. Mm-hm.

1418
01:24:02,180 --> 01:24:04,420
It's a small nylon cord

1419
01:24:04,420 --> 01:24:06,940
that basically gets cut
when we trigger it. OK.

1420
01:24:06,940 --> 01:24:09,300
And then, that'll just drop
the whole thing away.

1421
01:24:09,300 --> 01:24:12,380
But as a backup, if this failed,
we've got a fail-safe,

1422
01:24:12,380 --> 01:24:14,820
which is kind of a weak point
in the collar,

1423
01:24:14,820 --> 01:24:17,900
which is just made
with a natural cotton.

1424
01:24:17,900 --> 01:24:20,700
So we've got to make it strong
enough, but also weak enough

1425
01:24:20,700 --> 01:24:22,900
that if they didn't like it
or wanted to get it off,

1426
01:24:22,900 --> 01:24:25,340
that it would easily come away.

1427
01:24:29,020 --> 01:24:33,260
With the cameras ready,
we now need our kangaroos.

1428
01:24:36,940 --> 01:24:39,180
To get close enough to conduct
a research,

1429
01:24:39,180 --> 01:24:42,220
Cathy uses a tranquiliser gun.

1430
01:24:43,620 --> 01:24:46,780
DART RELEASES AND ROO SNORTS GENTLY

1431
01:24:46,780 --> 01:24:48,340
Sedated and safe,

1432
01:24:48,340 --> 01:24:51,060
a series of blood samples
and measurements are taken

1433
01:24:51,060 --> 01:24:54,020
to help assess the health
of this population,

1434
01:24:54,020 --> 01:24:56,860
and the first signs are worrying.

1435
01:24:56,860 --> 01:24:59,180
She is a little bit thin.

1436
01:24:59,180 --> 01:25:00,900
So some of the areas around the tail
here,

1437
01:25:00,900 --> 01:25:02,900
they should have lots of muscle...
Mm-hm.

1438
01:25:02,900 --> 01:25:06,580
..either side of the processes
that stick out from the vertebrae.

1439
01:25:06,580 --> 01:25:09,740
And I can feel
those vertebral processes

1440
01:25:09,740 --> 01:25:12,100
quite prominently in her tail.

1441
01:25:12,100 --> 01:25:15,940
So she's definitely not
in fantastic condition.

1442
01:25:15,940 --> 01:25:19,340
None of the kangaroos here
are in prime health.

1443
01:25:19,340 --> 01:25:22,020
But importantly,
Cathy is happy that this roo

1444
01:25:22,020 --> 01:25:24,340
is fit enough to carry our camera.

1445
01:25:26,100 --> 01:25:28,300
How do you feel about that?
Yes, it seems pretty good.

1446
01:25:28,300 --> 01:25:31,220
You want to be able to get a finger
between, or two fingers between,

1447
01:25:31,220 --> 01:25:32,780
quite comfortably.

1448
01:25:32,780 --> 01:25:34,860
OK, Cathy, are you happy with that?
Yeah.

1449
01:25:36,180 --> 01:25:40,740
Yeah. Yeah, you definitely
don't want it any looser, so, yeah.

1450
01:25:40,740 --> 01:25:42,900
Now weigh. Weigh. OK. Weigh.

1451
01:25:44,260 --> 01:25:47,780
It's OK.
This is my workout for the day. OK.

1452
01:25:47,780 --> 01:25:49,940
31.5.

1453
01:25:49,940 --> 01:25:54,060
Camera on, our roo is weighed...

1454
01:25:54,060 --> 01:25:56,140
30.1. Yeah.

1455
01:25:56,140 --> 01:25:58,340
..and allowed to come round.

1456
01:26:05,740 --> 01:26:09,020
She's looking around, she looks
perfectly relaxed and comfortable.

1457
01:26:09,020 --> 01:26:10,340
It's a good thing.

1458
01:26:11,460 --> 01:26:15,300
And just figuring out
what her new bit of bling is.

1459
01:26:18,860 --> 01:26:22,940
But her new accessory
doesn't last long.

1460
01:26:24,700 --> 01:26:27,140
Damn it!

1461
01:26:27,140 --> 01:26:29,060
How did that happen?

1462
01:26:29,060 --> 01:26:33,060
Our wily kangaroo has already
broken out of the collar.

1463
01:26:33,980 --> 01:26:36,780
I didn't even see. I don't know
whether she was scratching her ear,

1464
01:26:36,780 --> 01:26:39,780
or whether she, er...

1465
01:26:39,780 --> 01:26:42,260
..got one of her claws just inside,

1466
01:26:42,260 --> 01:26:44,500
under the neoprene,
and pulled it off.

1467
01:26:45,700 --> 01:26:47,220
Oh, that's not good.

1468
01:26:48,740 --> 01:26:51,620
Chris? I think the cotton
might have failed.

1469
01:26:51,620 --> 01:26:53,140
CHRIS SIGHS

1470
01:26:53,140 --> 01:26:56,340
It looks like the weak link
Chris built in to the collar

1471
01:26:56,340 --> 01:26:58,700
has snapped too easily.

1472
01:27:03,300 --> 01:27:07,740
With reinforcements made,
and as Cathy is darting many roos
for her research,

1473
01:27:07,740 --> 01:27:09,660
we're soon ready to try again.

1474
01:27:12,980 --> 01:27:16,180
And this female
has a surprise in store.

1475
01:27:16,180 --> 01:27:19,740
She's got a little one in the pouch.
Oh, does she? Oh!

1476
01:27:19,740 --> 01:27:22,300
Oh, my word! That is incredible!
Look at that!

1477
01:27:23,900 --> 01:27:27,140
That is... Yeah. ..extraordinary.

1478
01:27:27,140 --> 01:27:29,580
Jeez! That just defies belief.

1479
01:27:29,580 --> 01:27:32,420
Yeah. So this one... That is alien.
It is.

1480
01:27:32,420 --> 01:27:37,020
..is probably about ten weeks old.

1481
01:27:37,020 --> 01:27:40,300
And we should be able to tell
what sex it is.

1482
01:27:40,300 --> 01:27:42,460
Gosh, it's so delicate!

1483
01:27:42,460 --> 01:27:45,620
It's a female. OK.
You can just see her little pouch.

1484
01:27:45,620 --> 01:27:47,420
That is just extraordinary!

1485
01:27:49,500 --> 01:27:53,540
The anaesthetic that Cathy uses
won't pass into the mother's milk,

1486
01:27:53,540 --> 01:27:58,020
so this little Joey is completely
unaffected by the procedure.

1487
01:27:58,020 --> 01:28:01,100
Yeah, that's the most amazing thing
of the year, I think.

1488
01:28:01,100 --> 01:28:03,500
As Cathy takes
the rest of her measurements,

1489
01:28:03,500 --> 01:28:06,020
Chris carefully attaches the camera.

1490
01:28:07,580 --> 01:28:10,140
And she's left under a tree
to wake up.

1491
01:28:13,140 --> 01:28:15,540
But this roo is giving us
the runaround.

1492
01:28:16,700 --> 01:28:18,540
When we go back to check on her,

1493
01:28:18,540 --> 01:28:21,420
all we find is a camera
on the ground.

1494
01:28:23,500 --> 01:28:25,060
It seems the quick-release collar

1495
01:28:25,060 --> 01:28:27,580
is proving a little too easy
to get out of.

1496
01:28:29,220 --> 01:28:32,140
Its fail-safe,
just a few strands of cotton,

1497
01:28:32,140 --> 01:28:34,180
is still too fragile.

1498
01:28:34,180 --> 01:28:36,180
It is a very fine balance.

1499
01:28:36,180 --> 01:28:39,060
You were going to say fine line,
which is exactly... I was!
..what it is.

1500
01:28:39,060 --> 01:28:42,340
So maybe we need a less-fine line.
Yeah.

1501
01:28:42,340 --> 01:28:44,580
GORDON CHUCKLES
I think we can up it a bit more.

1502
01:28:44,580 --> 01:28:46,620
What I'll do is go back
and I'll thicken it up

1503
01:28:46,620 --> 01:28:48,940
and just have a few
practices at breaking it

1504
01:28:48,940 --> 01:28:51,460
and just get a feel for...
Yeah. ..how much force.

1505
01:28:51,460 --> 01:28:54,860
Chris is going to redesign
the collar overnight,

1506
01:28:54,860 --> 01:28:58,140
but will it be enough to get
our kangaroo shoot under way?

1507
01:29:02,420 --> 01:29:04,900
From a species grappling with
urban sprawl

1508
01:29:04,900 --> 01:29:09,300
to one which has chosen to live
right in the middle of it.

1509
01:29:12,060 --> 01:29:13,940
For our next camera candidate,

1510
01:29:13,940 --> 01:29:16,420
we're heading straight into
the heart of the city.

1511
01:29:18,780 --> 01:29:20,700
Adelaide, South Australia.

1512
01:29:22,100 --> 01:29:24,980
In 2010, a small group of pioneers

1513
01:29:24,980 --> 01:29:28,980
embarked on an epic journey
to set up camp here.

1514
01:29:30,900 --> 01:29:35,700
50 or so new arrivals
have now grown to more than 22,000.

1515
01:29:36,740 --> 01:29:39,100
Meet the grey-headed flying foxes.

1516
01:29:41,220 --> 01:29:43,580
Usually found along the east coast,

1517
01:29:43,580 --> 01:29:47,180
these intrepid travellers
have flown 1,000 kilometres

1518
01:29:47,180 --> 01:29:49,300
to settle in South Australia.

1519
01:29:51,180 --> 01:29:56,260
Never before seen here, their sudden
appearance was a complete mystery.

1520
01:29:56,260 --> 01:29:58,900
HIGH-PITCHED CLICKING

1521
01:29:58,900 --> 01:30:03,220
Despite their fox-like faces,
these are no canines.

1522
01:30:03,220 --> 01:30:07,940
They are, in fact, one of
Australia's largest species of bat.

1523
01:30:09,140 --> 01:30:12,540
Weighing up to a kilo,
these magnificent flying mammals

1524
01:30:12,540 --> 01:30:14,900
have a wingspan of over a metre.

1525
01:30:16,460 --> 01:30:18,220
Unlike the smaller microbats,

1526
01:30:18,220 --> 01:30:22,380
these giants don't echolocate,
or feed on insects.

1527
01:30:24,060 --> 01:30:27,500
Instead, they eat flowers and fruit,

1528
01:30:27,500 --> 01:30:31,380
giving them their other name,
fruit bats.

1529
01:30:33,100 --> 01:30:36,460
But can they find the right foods
in their new city home?

1530
01:30:38,100 --> 01:30:40,900
What has drawn them all the way
to Adelaide?

1531
01:30:43,060 --> 01:30:45,420
As a species,
they're often unpopular

1532
01:30:45,420 --> 01:30:49,500
for their large, noisy camps
and appetite for food crops.

1533
01:30:49,500 --> 01:30:51,540
To most, the sudden arrival

1534
01:30:51,540 --> 01:30:54,580
of flying foxes in Adelaide
was puzzling.

1535
01:30:56,780 --> 01:30:58,780
But for wildlife vet,
Wayne Boardman,

1536
01:30:58,780 --> 01:31:00,860
and bat specialist, Terry Reardon,

1537
01:31:00,860 --> 01:31:03,620
their arrival was
the perfect opportunity

1538
01:31:03,620 --> 01:31:05,700
to study the species in more depth.

1539
01:31:07,780 --> 01:31:11,580
What I love about them is they're
very smart, very intelligent.

1540
01:31:11,580 --> 01:31:14,260
They've got this incredible
physiology.

1541
01:31:14,260 --> 01:31:18,100
They have developed
great senses of smell,

1542
01:31:18,100 --> 01:31:20,340
good eyesight, great hearing,

1543
01:31:20,340 --> 01:31:23,140
and they've got this ability to move
across the landscape.

1544
01:31:23,140 --> 01:31:27,260
Wayne and his team at the
University of Adelaide have tracked

1545
01:31:27,260 --> 01:31:30,700
the flying foxes' nocturnal
movements using GPS collars,

1546
01:31:30,700 --> 01:31:34,540
and discovered that they travel
up to 80km a night

1547
01:31:34,540 --> 01:31:36,580
when they fly off to forage.

1548
01:31:36,580 --> 01:31:38,260
It would be really nice to find out

1549
01:31:38,260 --> 01:31:40,220
what they do when they go out
travelling.

1550
01:31:40,220 --> 01:31:42,460
Do they feed? What do they feed on?

1551
01:31:43,740 --> 01:31:45,940
Could food preference
be a key reason

1552
01:31:45,940 --> 01:31:48,980
behind the flying foxes' arrival
in the city?

1553
01:31:48,980 --> 01:31:52,460
Flying foxes primarily eat
gum flowers

1554
01:31:52,460 --> 01:31:54,100
and the nectar from gum flowers,

1555
01:31:54,100 --> 01:31:55,820
and also, fruit.

1556
01:31:57,540 --> 01:32:01,820
These megabats can eat
important agricultural crops,

1557
01:32:01,820 --> 01:32:04,940
which is why many people
consider them to be a pest.

1558
01:32:06,740 --> 01:32:10,900
Their hunger for fruit is a
particular worry for local farmers.

1559
01:32:13,660 --> 01:32:17,420
The Adelaide region is home
to numerous sugar-rich crops.

1560
01:32:19,860 --> 01:32:22,860
Safe to say, Adelaide's new arrivals

1561
01:32:22,860 --> 01:32:26,140
were not a welcome sight
for local fruit producers.

1562
01:32:28,380 --> 01:32:31,380
When we have a species
that's quite contentious

1563
01:32:31,380 --> 01:32:34,340
in terms of causing problems
with commercial fruit,

1564
01:32:34,340 --> 01:32:36,940
we want to try and find out
exactly what they're eating.

1565
01:32:36,940 --> 01:32:39,580
If we know that they're eating
a lot of commercial fruit,

1566
01:32:39,580 --> 01:32:41,820
what can we put in place
to stop them?

1567
01:32:41,820 --> 01:32:45,260
If they're not eating commercial
fruit, then we can be happy

1568
01:32:45,260 --> 01:32:49,380
that they are part of the landscape,
and we should enjoy them.

1569
01:32:51,100 --> 01:32:54,980
And these much-persecuted animals
really should be celebrated.

1570
01:32:56,580 --> 01:32:59,900
An individual flying fox will
not only pollinate many plants,

1571
01:32:59,900 --> 01:33:05,220
but disperse up to 60,000 seeds
across the landscape every night.

1572
01:33:07,220 --> 01:33:09,020
From a scientific point of view,

1573
01:33:09,020 --> 01:33:12,460
flying foxes are extremely valuable
for the environment.

1574
01:33:14,700 --> 01:33:18,540
Which is why Wayne is studying
the ongoing health of the population
here.

1575
01:33:20,620 --> 01:33:23,820
But the only way to really
understand their world

1576
01:33:23,820 --> 01:33:26,100
is to get amongst it.

1577
01:33:26,100 --> 01:33:28,540
Something that is tricky enough
during the day,

1578
01:33:28,540 --> 01:33:31,260
but practically impossible at night.

1579
01:33:32,700 --> 01:33:36,660
To answer Wayne's question of
where they go and what they feed on,

1580
01:33:36,660 --> 01:33:39,580
a wearable night-time camera
is called for.

1581
01:33:41,380 --> 01:33:44,180
Yet another task for Chris.

1582
01:33:44,180 --> 01:33:49,060
And safe to say, this build has
given him the most sleepless nights.

1583
01:33:49,060 --> 01:33:52,100
So putting a camera on a bat
has got to be

1584
01:33:52,100 --> 01:33:54,300
the most challenging thing
I've been asked to do yet.

1585
01:33:56,380 --> 01:34:01,020
Although they are one of the biggest
bad species, around 800g,

1586
01:34:01,020 --> 01:34:04,060
that only gave me a weight limit
of 35g.

1587
01:34:04,060 --> 01:34:08,420
And that is the equivalent to maybe
two packets of chewing gum.

1588
01:34:08,420 --> 01:34:11,380
And for that tiny payload,
Chris has built a camera

1589
01:34:11,380 --> 01:34:13,420
complete with infrared light,

1590
01:34:13,420 --> 01:34:16,980
a programmable onboard computer
and a VHF tracker.

1591
01:34:16,980 --> 01:34:19,700
Another design consideration
with this camera

1592
01:34:19,700 --> 01:34:21,460
has been the placement.

1593
01:34:21,460 --> 01:34:23,780
So we've decided to put it
on the back.

1594
01:34:23,780 --> 01:34:25,540
And that's hopefully going to mean

1595
01:34:25,540 --> 01:34:27,860
it's not in the way
when the bats are flying.

1596
01:34:27,860 --> 01:34:30,060
And they also spend a lot of time
hanging upside down,

1597
01:34:30,060 --> 01:34:32,100
so if it's on the back,
it's out of the way.

1598
01:34:32,100 --> 01:34:34,980
If it was a collar camera,
it's going right under their chin

1599
01:34:34,980 --> 01:34:36,740
and it's going to be
really annoying.

1600
01:34:36,740 --> 01:34:40,660
So much of this is the animals being
as comfortable wearing these cameras
as possible,

1601
01:34:40,660 --> 01:34:42,860
cos that gives us the best chance
of them staying on.

1602
01:34:45,940 --> 01:34:49,940
As night falls, the flying foxes
depart for the evening adventures.

1603
01:34:54,860 --> 01:34:59,140
Just a few hours later, Chris and
the team arrive at the Botanic Park

1604
01:34:59,140 --> 01:35:01,740
to prepare for
the flying foxes' return.

1605
01:35:04,020 --> 01:35:07,420
It's a 3:00am start for scientists
Wayne, Terry

1606
01:35:07,420 --> 01:35:10,700
and a team of expert bat-catchers.

1607
01:35:10,700 --> 01:35:13,100
So if you want to come
and have a look at the ropes, Chris?

1608
01:35:13,100 --> 01:35:17,540
Wayne surveys the health of
the flying fox population here
twice a year.

1609
01:35:18,700 --> 01:35:20,860
A process that involves
capturing them,

1610
01:35:20,860 --> 01:35:24,100
weighing them and taking samples.

1611
01:35:24,100 --> 01:35:28,300
Which also gives us the perfect
opportunity to attach our cameras.

1612
01:35:29,820 --> 01:35:32,580
The flying foxes will be caught
in a fine net

1613
01:35:32,580 --> 01:35:35,300
suspended between two trees.

1614
01:35:35,300 --> 01:35:37,300
So, everybody knows
what they're doing?

1615
01:35:40,740 --> 01:35:42,580
So this is our first morning, um...

1616
01:35:42,580 --> 01:35:44,620
that we might actually catch a bat.

1617
01:35:44,620 --> 01:35:46,620
Very excited to see
if this will work.

1618
01:35:46,620 --> 01:35:51,140
It's quite an operation,
getting this net up in the tree.

1619
01:35:51,140 --> 01:35:53,820
So, yeah, now we wait.

1620
01:35:53,820 --> 01:35:56,380
And it's not long
before one hits the net.

1621
01:35:56,380 --> 01:35:57,820
Oh!

1622
01:35:59,900 --> 01:36:01,900
Right.

1623
01:36:05,300 --> 01:36:07,860
JUBILANT CHATTER

1624
01:36:07,860 --> 01:36:11,460
Each flying fox caught is weighed
as part of its checkup.

1625
01:36:11,460 --> 01:36:14,820
And if one tips the scales
at 700g or more,

1626
01:36:14,820 --> 01:36:18,220
it's also big enough
to carry one of our cameras.

1627
01:36:18,220 --> 01:36:19,940
800. Yeah, got it.

1628
01:36:19,940 --> 01:36:21,700
While the survey continues,

1629
01:36:21,700 --> 01:36:24,020
already-captured bats
are hung in a bag

1630
01:36:24,020 --> 01:36:27,100
for the short wait
before going to the vet facility.

1631
01:36:27,100 --> 01:36:30,380
For animals that naturally hang
upside down,

1632
01:36:30,380 --> 01:36:32,420
this has a calming effect.

1633
01:36:33,980 --> 01:36:35,940
Yep, that's it.

1634
01:36:35,940 --> 01:36:37,700
OK, up. Up!

1635
01:36:39,460 --> 01:36:44,300
By 5:30am, six flying foxes
have been caught for Wayne's checks,

1636
01:36:44,300 --> 01:36:46,900
and hopefully, our cameras.

1637
01:36:52,220 --> 01:36:56,780
Back at the clinic, it's time
to meet our first flying fox
camera cadet.

1638
01:36:57,780 --> 01:36:59,380
So I'm just going to get
the mask.

1639
01:37:01,460 --> 01:37:04,300
The process begins
with a light anaesthesia.

1640
01:37:05,900 --> 01:37:08,900
Safely asleep,
Wayne conducts his research.

1641
01:37:10,140 --> 01:37:12,580
As well as weight,
he takes a blood sample,

1642
01:37:12,580 --> 01:37:17,460
checks for body condition,
and collects some key measurements.

1643
01:37:17,460 --> 01:37:20,100
So it's amazing to see these animals
up close.

1644
01:37:20,100 --> 01:37:23,740
They're actually bigger
than I was expecting.

1645
01:37:24,980 --> 01:37:28,060
They've got these really sharp
teeth, which I'm a little bit
worried about,

1646
01:37:28,060 --> 01:37:31,060
cos obviously, these cameras
are so light, they're not
very well-protected.

1647
01:37:31,060 --> 01:37:34,700
Gloves on, it's time for the camera.

1648
01:37:34,700 --> 01:37:37,540
And it's a great fit.

1649
01:37:37,540 --> 01:37:39,380
I'm quite happy with that.

1650
01:37:39,380 --> 01:37:41,900
It's sitting between
the shoulder blades nicely.

1651
01:37:41,900 --> 01:37:44,620
So, we can wake it up? Happy?
Yes. Yeah, yeah. Good.

1652
01:37:47,940 --> 01:37:49,940
After Wayne fits
the rest of the cameras

1653
01:37:49,940 --> 01:37:51,900
and the anaesthetic has worn off,

1654
01:37:51,900 --> 01:37:55,340
the flying foxes are ready
to be returned to the camp.

1655
01:37:55,340 --> 01:37:57,460
HIGH-PITCHED CLICKING

1656
01:37:59,700 --> 01:38:03,580
Wayne gently places our first
crew member on the tree,

1657
01:38:03,580 --> 01:38:08,300
and it seems completely unfazed
by its new high-tech backpack.

1658
01:38:09,620 --> 01:38:11,500
But in a camp of 22,000,

1659
01:38:11,500 --> 01:38:13,700
it's not long before
it disappears from view.

1660
01:38:15,220 --> 01:38:18,780
This is part of the argument for
putting a camera on a bat, isn't it?

1661
01:38:18,780 --> 01:38:21,460
Is how quickly we've lost sight.
Yeah.

1662
01:38:21,460 --> 01:38:24,260
And our camera is now
capturing it all for us.

1663
01:38:26,300 --> 01:38:30,420
Thankfully, our long-lens camera
finds it high in the tree tops.

1664
01:38:31,940 --> 01:38:34,580
As this is the first deployment,

1665
01:38:34,580 --> 01:38:39,100
Chris wants to keep the flying fox
in sight, to make sure it's OK.

1666
01:38:39,100 --> 01:38:40,940
The bat's actually just taken off.

1667
01:38:42,140 --> 01:38:43,820
That's incredible!
That's the first time

1668
01:38:43,820 --> 01:38:48,820
that we've ever had actual
flying footage from a bat.

1669
01:38:48,820 --> 01:38:50,980
Whaa!
CHRIS LAUGHS

1670
01:38:52,100 --> 01:38:54,060
It's a great start.

1671
01:38:54,060 --> 01:38:58,340
And over the next hour, five more
are released back into the camp.

1672
01:38:58,340 --> 01:39:01,300
Each of these carrying
a night-time camera

1673
01:39:01,300 --> 01:39:05,220
to reveal their all-important
nocturnal feeding habits.

1674
01:39:05,220 --> 01:39:08,660
The first test camera
has been recording throughout,

1675
01:39:08,660 --> 01:39:12,180
so now it's time to get it back
and see if it's worked.

1676
01:39:15,260 --> 01:39:19,220
Remarkably, within the minuscule
35-gram camera,

1677
01:39:19,220 --> 01:39:22,860
Chris has built in
a remote-controlled
drop-off mechanism.

1678
01:39:25,260 --> 01:39:27,700
But just as he's about to press
the trigger,

1679
01:39:27,700 --> 01:39:30,300
the flying fox takes to the skies.

1680
01:39:30,300 --> 01:39:32,300
Taking our footage with it.

1681
01:39:35,020 --> 01:39:36,580
A lot, or just a little bit?

1682
01:39:38,100 --> 01:39:39,420
A lot?

1683
01:39:39,420 --> 01:39:41,340
Without the camera in view,

1684
01:39:41,340 --> 01:39:44,180
it's high risk to hit
the release button,

1685
01:39:44,180 --> 01:39:46,740
but Chris tries anyway.

1686
01:39:46,740 --> 01:39:51,460
Three, two, one, releasing.

1687
01:39:58,900 --> 01:40:01,380
While no-one hears or sees
the camera fall,

1688
01:40:01,380 --> 01:40:05,820
eagle-eyed cameraman Miles
spots something in the undergrowth.

1689
01:40:08,660 --> 01:40:10,700
Much to the relief of the crew.

1690
01:40:12,140 --> 01:40:15,140
Oh, my God!
..Five minutes ago, that...

1691
01:40:15,140 --> 01:40:16,740
MUFFLED CHEERING

1692
01:40:18,660 --> 01:40:20,700
With the first test camera
retrieved,

1693
01:40:20,700 --> 01:40:23,700
it's time for Wayne and his team
to take a look.

1694
01:40:25,140 --> 01:40:29,380
Unlike the others, this camera is
set to record daytime movements.

1695
01:40:29,380 --> 01:40:31,860
Some good news. H-H-Hey!

1696
01:40:31,860 --> 01:40:35,660
It's the team's first look
at life in the tree tops...

1697
01:40:35,660 --> 01:40:37,540
BELLS PEAL

1698
01:40:37,540 --> 01:40:40,380
..and the flying fox's view
of Adelaide.

1699
01:40:40,380 --> 01:40:42,180
I thought I could hear music.

1700
01:40:43,580 --> 01:40:46,060
Oh, it's the... No, it's the...
It's the cathedral! St Pete.

1701
01:40:46,060 --> 01:40:48,700
The cathedral. Oh, right, the
cathedral! Yeah. It's at 10:00am.

1702
01:40:49,940 --> 01:40:52,700
Ha! That's amazing! That is!
Perfect timing in there.

1703
01:40:52,700 --> 01:40:57,620
But then, our filming flying fox
takes to the skies.

1704
01:40:59,060 --> 01:41:02,740
The first time
bat flight has ever been recorded

1705
01:41:02,740 --> 01:41:04,740
from the animal's point of view.

1706
01:41:04,740 --> 01:41:07,580
Oh, you can hear it! Wow!
Wing tips are right out in front!

1707
01:41:07,580 --> 01:41:09,380
Ha!

1708
01:41:09,380 --> 01:41:11,300
It's even possible to see

1709
01:41:11,300 --> 01:41:14,460
how its wing tips almost touch
after each beat.

1710
01:41:16,940 --> 01:41:20,940
The footage is welcome proof
these tiny prototype cameras

1711
01:41:20,940 --> 01:41:23,220
really can help Wayne's research.

1712
01:41:25,860 --> 01:41:27,420
Oh, what a relief! It is.

1713
01:41:27,420 --> 01:41:29,300
We've got some great footage.

1714
01:41:29,300 --> 01:41:30,580
HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING

1715
01:41:30,580 --> 01:41:34,180
And this daytime camera is already
revealing new things to Wayne.

1716
01:41:35,860 --> 01:41:38,780
So it went into the fig tree
the first time

1717
01:41:38,780 --> 01:41:40,540
and then it's moved to
another tree, did it?

1718
01:41:41,900 --> 01:41:44,620
So, that looks like a pine tree
there, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

1719
01:41:44,620 --> 01:41:47,460
The footage is good enough
for Wayne to identify

1720
01:41:47,460 --> 01:41:50,820
the different tree species
the flying fox is roosting in.

1721
01:41:50,820 --> 01:41:52,740
Detail that will be essential

1722
01:41:52,740 --> 01:41:55,980
if he's to identify what trees
and what food

1723
01:41:55,980 --> 01:41:58,620
the flying foxes are feeding on
after dark.

1724
01:42:04,020 --> 01:42:06,660
So now to our main experiment.

1725
01:42:08,820 --> 01:42:11,540
The setting sun is the cue
for our flying foxes

1726
01:42:11,540 --> 01:42:13,580
to depart and find food.

1727
01:42:14,820 --> 01:42:16,860
Among the thousands
that fill the sky

1728
01:42:16,860 --> 01:42:19,500
are our aerial film unit of five.

1729
01:42:20,780 --> 01:42:23,380
And as they disappear
into the night,

1730
01:42:23,380 --> 01:42:27,220
it's over to them to film for us.

1731
01:42:27,220 --> 01:42:31,100
But will our cameras survive,
and will the flying foxes

1732
01:42:31,100 --> 01:42:33,940
bring their precious footage back
tomorrow morning?

1733
01:42:33,940 --> 01:42:35,980
HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING

1734
01:42:35,980 --> 01:42:37,740
WAVES CRASH

1735
01:42:38,900 --> 01:42:41,260
Back at Coffs Harbour
on the east coast,

1736
01:42:41,260 --> 01:42:44,900
this population of kangaroos
is feeling the urban squeeze.

1737
01:42:46,940 --> 01:42:49,140
Trapped between a motorway
and the ocean,

1738
01:42:49,140 --> 01:42:50,980
they are struggling to find food.

1739
01:42:53,740 --> 01:42:56,900
Dr Cathy Herbert hopes
our onboard cameras will reveal

1740
01:42:56,900 --> 01:43:00,780
if these isolated roos are
foraging on the beach to survive.

1741
01:43:01,940 --> 01:43:06,500
However, so far,
we've not got a camera on.

1742
01:43:06,500 --> 01:43:09,020
The camera collars, made with
a quick release to come off

1743
01:43:09,020 --> 01:43:10,860
if the animal gets snagged,

1744
01:43:10,860 --> 01:43:12,940
are falling off too easily.

1745
01:43:12,940 --> 01:43:15,580
It has to be strong enough
and weak enough.

1746
01:43:15,580 --> 01:43:17,260
It's just finding that sweet spot...

1747
01:43:17,260 --> 01:43:19,380
That's right, yeah.
..so it doesn't just drop off.

1748
01:43:19,380 --> 01:43:21,660
Well, at the moment, we're using
three strands of cotton.

1749
01:43:21,660 --> 01:43:24,700
So I think if we up that to maybe
eight or nine pieces... Yeah.

1750
01:43:24,700 --> 01:43:27,180
..that'll hopefully just give us
the edge we need.

1751
01:43:29,380 --> 01:43:31,420
Camera modifications made,

1752
01:43:31,420 --> 01:43:34,740
we head out to hopefully find
a kangaroo for our crew.

1753
01:43:37,300 --> 01:43:40,140
You happy with everything? Yeah.
So that's all our samples.

1754
01:43:40,140 --> 01:43:42,340
Good. Yeah, camera's good to go.

1755
01:43:42,340 --> 01:43:44,780
Yeah. So we'll put her
in a shady spot to recover.

1756
01:43:46,260 --> 01:43:48,860
Time to put Chris' handiwork
to the test.

1757
01:43:51,460 --> 01:43:52,820
Good luck.

1758
01:43:55,580 --> 01:43:57,820
OK, she's hopped off.

1759
01:43:57,820 --> 01:44:00,420
She's hopped off. She's got
the camera, she's looking good.

1760
01:44:01,940 --> 01:44:04,140
It's a huge relief.

1761
01:44:04,140 --> 01:44:08,140
And knowing that the collars work,
we deploy another five cameras.

1762
01:44:08,140 --> 01:44:10,700
DULL BEEPING

1763
01:44:10,700 --> 01:44:13,860
That's the track on the VHF,
I reckon. Yep. So...

1764
01:44:15,300 --> 01:44:19,020
It's now up to the kangaroos
to capture the challenges they face.

1765
01:44:24,020 --> 01:44:28,460
The next morning, the search is on
for our camera roos.

1766
01:44:28,460 --> 01:44:31,900
Chris leads the way,
listening for the cameras' VHF beep.

1767
01:44:31,900 --> 01:44:33,380
BEEPING

1768
01:44:33,380 --> 01:44:36,420
And before long,
we find one of our crew.

1769
01:44:36,420 --> 01:44:39,860
She's just there. If you come...
Just the other side.
See her through there? Oh, yes.

1770
01:44:42,460 --> 01:44:44,740
She knows that we're here... Yeah.

1771
01:44:44,740 --> 01:44:48,820
..but she doesn't know that we're
here to relieve her of her camera.

1772
01:44:48,820 --> 01:44:52,020
To get the camera off,
Chris triggers the release.

1773
01:44:53,220 --> 01:44:55,300
OK, here we go.

1774
01:44:55,300 --> 01:44:57,700
And as she hops away,
it comes loose.

1775
01:44:59,900 --> 01:45:01,380
There we go. Here it is!

1776
01:45:03,020 --> 01:45:06,460
Brilliant!
Everything's gone to plan!

1777
01:45:06,460 --> 01:45:08,500
Here we go.

1778
01:45:08,500 --> 01:45:11,660
To get it back is
just a massive, massive relief. Yes.

1779
01:45:11,660 --> 01:45:14,180
Is that a tear coming down? Yeah.

1780
01:45:14,180 --> 01:45:15,620
THEY LAUGH

1781
01:45:15,620 --> 01:45:17,500
Tears of joy and relief.

1782
01:45:17,500 --> 01:45:19,620
There will be when I watch
the footage, I reckon.

1783
01:45:19,620 --> 01:45:21,180
GORDON LAUGHS
Yeah.

1784
01:45:24,100 --> 01:45:27,580
With the first camera back,
we successfully retrieve the others.

1785
01:45:27,580 --> 01:45:29,420
VHF BEEPS

1786
01:45:34,500 --> 01:45:36,260
So...? Whaa!
CHRIS CHUCKLES

1787
01:45:37,300 --> 01:45:40,580
With any luck, they will show us
what these resourceful roos

1788
01:45:40,580 --> 01:45:42,020
are surviving on here.

1789
01:45:43,900 --> 01:45:45,860
Time to take a look.

1790
01:45:48,500 --> 01:45:50,780
Here we go. This is the big moment,

1791
01:45:50,780 --> 01:45:52,340
the culmination
of everyone's efforts.

1792
01:45:52,340 --> 01:45:55,260
Just over to the...over the roos.

1793
01:45:55,260 --> 01:45:57,060
STOMPING

1794
01:45:57,060 --> 01:46:00,740
Set to record at first light,
when the roos are most active,

1795
01:46:00,740 --> 01:46:04,220
this individual is already
on the move.

1796
01:46:04,220 --> 01:46:06,940
It's a really intimate view.

1797
01:46:06,940 --> 01:46:11,420
And as dawn breaks, we can see
her joey is with her, too.

1798
01:46:12,620 --> 01:46:15,540
Oh, there you go!
Aw! That's so sweet!

1799
01:46:15,540 --> 01:46:18,780
Oh! Oh, that's great! Oh, and
the...! Returning the favour. Huh!

1800
01:46:18,780 --> 01:46:21,620
Oh, the little one
licking the mother. Beautiful!

1801
01:46:21,620 --> 01:46:23,460
Oh, look at that!

1802
01:46:23,460 --> 01:46:26,100
Are you allowed to say cute,
as a scientist? You are.

1803
01:46:26,100 --> 01:46:28,620
That is gorgeous.

1804
01:46:28,620 --> 01:46:32,020
Joeys are weaned
at around 18 months old,

1805
01:46:32,020 --> 01:46:35,460
but they often stay close
to their mums for months after.

1806
01:46:37,900 --> 01:46:40,740
Spending time alone with
their mothers, like this one is,

1807
01:46:40,740 --> 01:46:42,740
rather than being in
the larger group,

1808
01:46:42,740 --> 01:46:45,580
also means they have a better chance
of survival.

1809
01:46:49,260 --> 01:46:51,700
Any head start is good
for the youngsters here,

1810
01:46:51,700 --> 01:46:55,740
as our camera shows us
just how poor this habitat is.

1811
01:46:57,780 --> 01:47:00,020
The headland may look like
a well-kept lawn,

1812
01:47:00,020 --> 01:47:02,780
but there's little on offer here.

1813
01:47:02,780 --> 01:47:06,580
With over 200 roos
in such a small area,

1814
01:47:06,580 --> 01:47:09,740
this grass has been
grazed to the ground.

1815
01:47:11,460 --> 01:47:17,300
The density of animals also means
where there is food, there's faeces.

1816
01:47:17,300 --> 01:47:19,900
A lot of the areas where
they're grazing are contaminated.

1817
01:47:19,900 --> 01:47:23,180
There's a little piece
of faecal matter right there,
where she's grazing.

1818
01:47:23,180 --> 01:47:27,660
And that fits with what we're seeing
in terms of the high levels
of intestinal parasites.

1819
01:47:28,740 --> 01:47:32,460
Poor feeding grounds lead to
poorly-conditioned animals.

1820
01:47:32,460 --> 01:47:36,580
And grazing here risks
spreading disease and infection

1821
01:47:36,580 --> 01:47:38,180
amongst the population.

1822
01:47:44,580 --> 01:47:48,540
But then we get the footage
Cathy has been hoping for.

1823
01:47:51,620 --> 01:47:55,500
One of our camera kangaroos
hops on to the beach.

1824
01:47:55,500 --> 01:47:58,180
Oh, they're right out on the sand!
On the beach! Oh, wow!

1825
01:47:59,940 --> 01:48:02,140
So this is those hopping marks
that we can see...

1826
01:48:02,140 --> 01:48:04,420
Yeah. ..where they're moving
on the beach.

1827
01:48:04,420 --> 01:48:07,580
At first, she nibbles on dune grass,

1828
01:48:07,580 --> 01:48:09,860
something Cathy has observed before.

1829
01:48:11,340 --> 01:48:13,780
Not a lot to eat there, though,
is there? Yeah. Yeah.

1830
01:48:13,780 --> 01:48:16,780
But then, she moves
further down the beach

1831
01:48:16,780 --> 01:48:19,020
and begins to forage.

1832
01:48:19,020 --> 01:48:21,660
Oh, yeah. Wow!

1833
01:48:21,660 --> 01:48:23,900
GULLS CRY

1834
01:48:23,900 --> 01:48:26,980
It's slim pickings
amongst the pebbles and shells,

1835
01:48:26,980 --> 01:48:30,020
but it's food nonetheless.

1836
01:48:31,860 --> 01:48:35,620
And our cameras give Cathy
the all-important opportunity

1837
01:48:35,620 --> 01:48:37,300
to see what they're eating.

1838
01:48:40,380 --> 01:48:42,420
I'm not a kangaroo,
you may have noticed,

1839
01:48:42,420 --> 01:48:45,820
but that vegetation doesn't seem
particularly nutritious.

1840
01:48:45,820 --> 01:48:47,260
It's kind of wispy and dry.

1841
01:48:48,500 --> 01:48:51,340
There's just a little bit of grass
coming up in between the shells

1842
01:48:51,340 --> 01:48:54,420
and the stones that have washed up
from the ocean.

1843
01:48:54,420 --> 01:48:58,260
And maybe that's because the grass
is a little bit longer there,
there's not a lot of it,

1844
01:48:58,260 --> 01:49:03,340
but, um...animals,
other animals aren't there
grazing with this animal,

1845
01:49:03,340 --> 01:49:05,140
so maybe there's less competition.
Mm-hm.

1846
01:49:07,420 --> 01:49:10,820
This footage shows how
these marginalised marsupials

1847
01:49:10,820 --> 01:49:14,500
really are doing
everything they can to survive.

1848
01:49:15,700 --> 01:49:17,380
But grass and weeds on the shoreline

1849
01:49:17,380 --> 01:49:20,380
is not enough food to sustain them
long term.

1850
01:49:23,500 --> 01:49:27,940
It all comes down to the way humans
have modified the environment.

1851
01:49:27,940 --> 01:49:32,180
They can't move the way
they normally would move
in the environment.

1852
01:49:34,420 --> 01:49:37,500
I think for us to have a future, and
for these animals to have a future,

1853
01:49:37,500 --> 01:49:40,060
it's about coexistence.
It's about people and kangaroos

1854
01:49:40,060 --> 01:49:42,300
sharing that same space.

1855
01:49:42,300 --> 01:49:44,980
And hopefully, through this footage

1856
01:49:44,980 --> 01:49:46,780
and the other research
that we're doing,

1857
01:49:46,780 --> 01:49:50,460
that we can, um...really
try and figure out

1858
01:49:50,460 --> 01:49:53,180
how best to...to manage
the landscape. Mm-hm.

1859
01:49:53,180 --> 01:49:55,540
After watching the footage,

1860
01:49:55,540 --> 01:49:58,780
Cathy wants to see changes
in urban planning,

1861
01:49:58,780 --> 01:50:03,180
to ensure new roads and suburbs
consider the needs of kangaroos

1862
01:50:03,180 --> 01:50:06,660
and enable them to move freely
across the landscape.

1863
01:50:08,540 --> 01:50:11,460
This will not only help
the kangaroos here at Coffs Harbour,

1864
01:50:11,460 --> 01:50:15,060
but many others living up and down
this busy coastline.

1865
01:50:22,980 --> 01:50:26,820
Back in Adelaide, it's time to see
if our cameras can identify

1866
01:50:26,820 --> 01:50:30,460
what the growing population of
flying foxes here are feeding on.

1867
01:50:33,580 --> 01:50:37,740
Overnight, our filming flying foxes
have been out on their errands

1868
01:50:37,740 --> 01:50:40,620
and are now back in the camp.

1869
01:50:40,620 --> 01:50:43,460
Chris is really hoping
they've brought their cameras

1870
01:50:43,460 --> 01:50:45,300
home with them.

1871
01:50:45,300 --> 01:50:47,940
We're just driving back
to the location this morning,

1872
01:50:47,940 --> 01:50:50,580
hoping to find the cameras
that have been out overnight.

1873
01:50:50,580 --> 01:50:53,220
They're going to have been
out over 24 hours.

1874
01:50:53,220 --> 01:50:55,500
So it's going to be really
interesting to see how

1875
01:50:55,500 --> 01:50:57,500
it survived the night.

1876
01:50:57,500 --> 01:51:00,220
And, you know, is the release
going to work?

1877
01:51:00,220 --> 01:51:04,060
By plugging in the VHF frequency
of the camera's transmitter,

1878
01:51:04,060 --> 01:51:07,980
Chris and Terry manage
to locate the first flying fox.

1879
01:51:09,980 --> 01:51:12,140
Not wanting to lose sight again,

1880
01:51:12,140 --> 01:51:14,340
Chris is quick to activate
the release.

1881
01:51:14,340 --> 01:51:16,540
OK, triggering now.

1882
01:51:16,540 --> 01:51:18,700
Sending, released.

1883
01:51:18,700 --> 01:51:22,700
The camera is clear to see,
glinting in the morning sun.

1884
01:51:22,700 --> 01:51:26,940
But as Chris hits release,
the flying fox takes flight.

1885
01:51:26,940 --> 01:51:28,100
Don't fly away!

1886
01:51:28,100 --> 01:51:30,340
Oh, yes. Look at that!

1887
01:51:30,340 --> 01:51:32,380
Yes!

1888
01:51:32,380 --> 01:51:33,740
Woohoo!

1889
01:51:33,740 --> 01:51:34,820
Nice.

1890
01:51:37,300 --> 01:51:38,660
Wow.

1891
01:51:38,660 --> 01:51:40,380
Couldn't be happier than that.

1892
01:51:40,380 --> 01:51:41,980
Just as planned.

1893
01:51:41,980 --> 01:51:44,380
And with the rest
of the cameras retrieved

1894
01:51:44,380 --> 01:51:46,980
just as smoothly, it's time to see

1895
01:51:46,980 --> 01:51:50,820
what our megabats'
mini cameras reveal.

1896
01:51:54,340 --> 01:51:58,380
For Terry, it's the very first time
he's seen or heard the footage

1897
01:51:58,380 --> 01:52:00,020
from the cameras.

1898
01:52:05,540 --> 01:52:08,380
Oh, gosh, a lot of people
studying flying foxes

1899
01:52:08,380 --> 01:52:11,860
are going to be really fascinated
to see this, I think.

1900
01:52:11,860 --> 01:52:14,900
And it's the first
all-important reveal

1901
01:52:14,900 --> 01:52:18,420
of what this flying fox
is going to feed on.

1902
01:52:18,420 --> 01:52:20,540
Looks like gum
of some description there.

1903
01:52:20,540 --> 01:52:23,980
That might be easy
to get that identified.

1904
01:52:23,980 --> 01:52:25,660
Yeah, I think so.

1905
01:52:25,660 --> 01:52:29,060
It's a South Australian blue gum,
a different variety

1906
01:52:29,060 --> 01:52:31,740
to their usual east coast food.

1907
01:52:31,740 --> 01:52:34,340
This eucalyptus is an
Adelaide native.

1908
01:52:37,820 --> 01:52:41,100
It's an encouraging sign
that the flying foxes aren't

1909
01:52:41,100 --> 01:52:46,140
targeting crops and have instead
adapted to a local species.

1910
01:52:48,340 --> 01:52:51,460
This close proximity to feeding,

1911
01:52:51,460 --> 01:52:54,140
we've never seen this sort of thing
before.

1912
01:52:54,140 --> 01:52:57,420
It's reassuring to know
that this flying fox hasn't gone

1913
01:52:57,420 --> 01:52:59,940
into any commercial fruit.

1914
01:52:59,940 --> 01:53:03,820
And we quickly learn that flying
foxes don't spend time in one place

1915
01:53:03,820 --> 01:53:05,420
for very long.

1916
01:53:07,260 --> 01:53:09,940
WINGS BEATING

1917
01:53:09,940 --> 01:53:12,540
Oh, that sound is incredible,
isn't it?

1918
01:53:15,380 --> 01:53:19,060
After a short flight, a new tree
is selected and the flying fox

1919
01:53:19,060 --> 01:53:21,380
announces its arrival.

1920
01:53:21,380 --> 01:53:23,500
BAT SQUEAKS

1921
01:53:25,540 --> 01:53:27,620
So this is really interesting.

1922
01:53:27,620 --> 01:53:30,820
It looks like they're going from,
just in a few minutes,

1923
01:53:30,820 --> 01:53:33,540
they've gone for three or four
different feeding sites,

1924
01:53:33,540 --> 01:53:36,300
which is nothing that
we've ever seen before.

1925
01:53:36,300 --> 01:53:39,220
We just think they're going to
one area and probably stay in a tree

1926
01:53:39,220 --> 01:53:40,620
for a period of time.

1927
01:53:40,620 --> 01:53:43,420
But it looks like they're flying
around every minute or two

1928
01:53:43,420 --> 01:53:45,020
to find some food.

1929
01:53:47,300 --> 01:53:52,780
And it's off again, and this time,
we're in a different tree species.

1930
01:53:54,500 --> 01:53:58,220
It is technically a fruit tree,
a Port Jackson fig,

1931
01:53:58,220 --> 01:54:00,260
but this is not a food crop.

1932
01:54:03,020 --> 01:54:08,060
It's an ornamental tree, commonly
found in gardens and civic centres.

1933
01:54:10,460 --> 01:54:14,700
A short flight later,
it's back in a native blue gum.

1934
01:54:14,700 --> 01:54:16,500
This is a surprising thing,

1935
01:54:16,500 --> 01:54:18,940
I think, just, you know,
how quickly they're moving,

1936
01:54:18,940 --> 01:54:21,420
eating blossom to blossom.

1937
01:54:21,420 --> 01:54:24,340
But they clearly are eating it
really quickly

1938
01:54:24,340 --> 01:54:26,500
and moving on.

1939
01:54:26,500 --> 01:54:30,100
And even though they can fly
tens of kilometres a night,

1940
01:54:30,100 --> 01:54:33,180
this flying fox has chosen
to stay close to the city.

1941
01:54:34,620 --> 01:54:40,300
And his back-mounted camera
provides a great aerial perspective.

1942
01:54:40,300 --> 01:54:42,980
So, he's going over the road.

1943
01:54:42,980 --> 01:54:45,180
Isn't that amazing?
This is extraordinary.

1944
01:54:47,820 --> 01:54:50,460
So that's a car park, I'm sure,
like you said.

1945
01:54:50,460 --> 01:54:53,100
But I'd be really interested
to know where it is.

1946
01:54:57,180 --> 01:55:00,220
With ornamental trees to feed on
in the heart of the city,

1947
01:55:00,220 --> 01:55:05,060
this flying fox doesn't
need to go far.

1948
01:55:05,060 --> 01:55:09,340
By first light, our filming flying
foxes are back in the roost,

1949
01:55:09,340 --> 01:55:11,380
hanging alongside their neighbours.

1950
01:55:13,020 --> 01:55:16,500
So what do Wayne and Terry
make of their first foray

1951
01:55:16,500 --> 01:55:19,540
into the flying foxes'
night-time world?

1952
01:55:19,540 --> 01:55:22,340
I don't know whether
I really had any full idea

1953
01:55:22,340 --> 01:55:24,780
of what we might actually see.

1954
01:55:24,780 --> 01:55:27,060
You know, this is incredible.

1955
01:55:27,060 --> 01:55:29,860
We're seeing flying foxes
flying around and seeing

1956
01:55:29,860 --> 01:55:31,300
what they're doing,

1957
01:55:31,300 --> 01:55:33,940
like we've never seen it before.

1958
01:55:33,940 --> 01:55:37,820
Importantly, our cameras
have revealed our flying foxes

1959
01:55:37,820 --> 01:55:40,700
at least, aren't targeting
commercial fruit.

1960
01:55:42,380 --> 01:55:46,900
It suggests that grey-headed flying
foxes have simply relocated

1961
01:55:46,900 --> 01:55:49,980
to Adelaide, not because
of its outlying crops,

1962
01:55:49,980 --> 01:55:55,900
but because of the many other food
resources on offer in the city.

1963
01:55:55,900 --> 01:55:58,860
The footage has also revealed
unexpected insights

1964
01:55:58,860 --> 01:56:01,180
for Wayne and Terry.

1965
01:56:01,180 --> 01:56:05,220
They have certainly given us
a great deal to work with.

1966
01:56:05,220 --> 01:56:09,100
You watch these animals from the
ground and you try and imagine

1967
01:56:09,100 --> 01:56:13,580
what it's like and you see them
feeding in trees, but...

1968
01:56:13,580 --> 01:56:16,780
..yeah, I would never imagine
you would ever see that, you know,

1969
01:56:16,780 --> 01:56:18,460
from a bat's point of view.

1970
01:56:18,460 --> 01:56:21,060
It's just remarkable technology.

1971
01:56:22,100 --> 01:56:24,980
Our cameras have not only
changed our understanding

1972
01:56:24,980 --> 01:56:28,780
of Adelaide's population,
but of grey-headed flying foxes

1973
01:56:28,780 --> 01:56:30,620
as a species.

1974
01:56:30,620 --> 01:56:34,860
Their ability to relocate
and adapt to new foods

1975
01:56:34,860 --> 01:56:37,500
are invaluable survival strategies.

1976
01:56:41,780 --> 01:56:44,780
Our animals with cameras
adventures in Australia

1977
01:56:44,780 --> 01:56:49,180
have given our scientists insight
into how we can help conserve

1978
01:56:49,180 --> 01:56:52,900
some of the country's unique
and precious animals.

1979
01:56:52,900 --> 01:56:58,020
Identifying how diverse
their habitat needs to be,

1980
01:56:58,020 --> 01:57:02,380
and how much space they need
to live on this great continent.

1981
01:57:04,540 --> 01:57:09,220
In an ever-changing world, let's
hope our footage can go some way

1982
01:57:09,220 --> 01:57:12,580
to safeguarding the future
of these species

1983
01:57:12,580 --> 01:57:15,500
in this truly magical country.